LHC seeks legal status of May 9 plotters

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has sought details by June 19 regarding the legal status of those PTI leaders who participated in a meeting where the party's founding chairman, Imran Khan, allegedly instructed party members to target military installations in the event of his arrest.

In the meantime, the division bench, headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, also directed the prosecution to conclude arguments on the bail pleas filed by Imran Khan in multiple cases registered against him in connection with the May 9 riots. The court asked for a list of all meeting participants to determine who had secured bail or who had been arrested.

At the start of proceedings, a list containing the names of witnesses of the May 9 incidents, who had recorded their statements, was submitted before the court.

The court was apprised of all details about the cases in which those witness statements had been recorded.

The law officer informed the court that this was not a routine case and that different methods had been used to collect evidence. He maintained that, under the law, it is not necessary for a person inciting violence to be directly involved in acts of arson.

Anyone inciting the public to violence would face the same consequences as those committing arson or disrupting law and order, he added.

The law officer further argued that any person whose instructions lead the public to gather and cause disruption or destruction would be held equally responsible.