The fate of several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and party workers will be decided tomorrow, as a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) prepares to hand down verdicts in two major cases stemming from the May 9 unrest.
Cases Tied to Arson and Police Clashes
The rulings cover two separate incidents: the torching of Shadman police station and the destruction of police vehicles near Rahat Bakery Chowk, both part of the wave of violence that erupted after former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest in May 2023.
The hearings, presided over by ATC Administrative Judge Manzer Ali Gill at Kot Lakhpat Jail, concluded on Saturday after final arguments from both the prosecution and the defence. Prosecutor Naeer Naveed urged the court to impose tough penalties, while defence lawyers — including Burhan Moazzam Malik and Malik Pervaiz — called for acquittals.
High-Profile Names in the Dock
The Sarwar Road case (FIR No. 103/23) accuses 16 individuals, including Dr Yasmin Rashid and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, of attacking Inspector Mujahid Hussain, seizing his pistol and SMG rifle, and setting his vehicle on fire. Originally, 25 people were charged, but eight went into hiding during the trial and one died.
In the Shadman police station case, the charge sheet named 41 accused, including PTI leaders Ejaz Chaudhary, Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mehmood ur Rashid, Aliya Hamza, and Sanam Javed. Of those, 15 have been declared proclaimed offenders and one has passed away, leaving 25 to face trial.
Dozens of Witnesses Presented
The prosecution built its case with extensive testimony — 45 witnesses in the Shadman incident and 65 in the Sarwar Road case — to support charges of arson, assaulting police officers, and stealing official weapons.
The verdicts, scheduled for Monday (August 11), will be closely watched, as they could set a precedent for how Pakistan’s judiciary handles political violence and attacks on state property.
