Punjab police to challenge PTI's Yasmin Rashid's acquittal in high court

Statement says investigation being carried out on 'scientific lines'

LAHORE:

A day after an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore ordered the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Yasmin Rashid in the Jinnah House attack case, the Punjab police announced to approach the high court against the order.

In a statement issued on Sunday through the police department’s official Twitter handle, they said that “all conspirators, planners, and perpetrators of the May 9 incident, including Dr Yasmin Rashid, would be brought to justice.”

The statement also maintained that the investigation is being carried out on “scientific lines”.

“The court order is being challenged as police were not given the opportunity to present forensic evidence in the case. The court (ATC) order will attain finality after the order of the High Court,” added the statement.

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It further stated that “Police reserves its right to investigate the case and to bring the truth before the public.”

1/2 https://t.co/5Lquu1aCyi pic.twitter.com/5WyOKYZ906

— Punjab Police Official (@OfficialDPRPP) June 4, 2023

The statement by the police department came in response to the PTI chief’s tweet that claimed that the ATC’s order to discharge Rashid meant that “as the President of Central Punjab, PTI as a party had no hand in the arson”.

“So, the whole crackdown on PTI was on the pretext that the party had planned the violence. Now this narrative has been blown apart,” the former prime minister added.

The arrest

The PTI leader was arrested in connection with the attack on Jinnah House on May 9.

In an unprecedented show of vandalism on May 9, protestors allegedly belonging to the PTI vandalised public and private properties and even attacked the Army's General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the Lahore Corps Commander’s residence, a historic building which was once the Lahore residence of the founder of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

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The attack took place hours after paramilitary Rangers personnel arrested the party chairman in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, later retitled as the £190 million National Crime Agency scandal, on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau, from the Islamabad High Court premises.

The rioting was followed by a harsh crackdown against the former ruling party leaders and workers. Several senior PTI leaders have since been arrested, and many have dissociated themselves from the party.

However, Yasmin Rashid was among the leaders still standing firm with the deposed prime minister.