ATC convicts PTI leaders in additional May 9 cases

An anti-terrorism court (ATC), which acquitted PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi, awarded 10 years imprisonment each to PTI lawmakers, including former governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, in two different cases registered against them pertaining to May 9 riots.

The ATC judge also awarded five years imprisonment each to Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed.

Earlier, the ATC court had reserved decisions after hearing in detail the arguments from both sides at Kot Lakhpat jail in two cases, Shadman Police Station attack and burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House at Kot Lakhpat jail.

The defence counsel argued that no concrete evidence is available to establish any link of the accused persons with the charges levelled in the FIR.

They argued that politically motivated cases had been registered against the accused persons merely to humiliate and blackmail them, adding that they were implicated in forged cases.

The prosecution implored the court that there is substantial and cogent evidence against the accused persons, which shows they incited the public to commit the offence.

It added that the accused persons are fully involved in the offence they committed on May 9 in light of damaging state properties, setting ablaze police vans, and creating law and order. The ATC court announced a verdict and convicted the PTI’s lawmakers.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, one of PTI’s counsels, Rana Mudassar Umar, said that "the trials in the cases of burning vehicles outside Rahat Bakery and arson near Shadman police station had been completed".

He said a total of 25 accused were named in the Rahat Bakery case and seven accused were declared absconders. He added that the trial of the 12 accused was completed in the Shadman Police Station arson case, and five accused were in custody in this case, while one accused had died.