Punjab govt moves LHC against Qureshi’s acquittal in May 9 cases

The Punjab government on Wednesday challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) the acquittal of senior PTI leader and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the May 9 cases by anti-terrorism court (ATC), reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Special Prosecutor General Punjab filed the appeal on behalf of the provincial government.

A two-member bench of the high court, comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mehmood, will hear the appeal at 12:00 PM today.

In its appeal, the provincial government said that there existed concrete proof of the involvement of Qureshi in the May 9 cases, and that the ATC’s verdict was not legally valid.

On August 12, an ATC in Lahore had ordered the release of senior PTI leader Qureshi in two cases related to the May 9 arson and rioting incidents.

The directive was issued by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul, who instructed the jail superintendent to release Qureshi immediately if he was not wanted in any other case.

On Monday, the same court had sentenced other PTI leaders, including Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed and Ijaz Chaudhry, to 10 years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs600,000 each.

The court also ordered the confiscation of their properties.

These cases pertain to the torching of the Shadman Town police station and an arson incident outside Rahat Bakery in Lahore during the nationwide protests on May 9, 2023.