Anti-Terrorism Court Lahore has awarded 10 years of imprisonment to PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ijaz Chaurdy, Umar Sarfraz Cheema and others in May 9 related cases of burning police vehicle at Kalma Chow and setting on fire a container in Gulberg on May 9, 2023 attack, reported 24NewsHD TV Channel.
The verdict was announced in Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore by ATC Judge Arshad Javed in case 1078/23 of Naseerabad police station and case 1280/23 of Gulberg police station. PTI leader Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed was also given10 years jail term in both cases. However, the challan of Shah Mahmood Qureshi in both cases was not submitted by the prosecution team.
The prosecution presented 78 witnesses against the accused in the cases. Challan of 33 accused was submitted in the Gulberg vehicle burning case. Four convicts were declared absconders by the court due to their prolonged absence during the trial. Meanwhile, challans of 36 accused were presented in the court in Kalma Chowk container burning case. 12 accused including Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed, Zubair Niazi and Mian Aslam Iqbal were declared absconders in container case.
20 accused were convicted in Kalma Chowk container attack case and five accused were acquitted. Likewise, seven accused were convicted and 22 were acquitted in Gulberg police vehicle burning case.
In Kalma Chowk container case 20 accused were given ten years in prison and five accused were acquitted. The other convicted include Ghulam Mohiuddin, Muhammad Nadeem, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Imran Munir, Abdul Hameed, Shahid Farid, Noman Saif, Salman Khan, Muhammad Tanveer, Amir Hamza, Ammar Masood, Ali Raza, Adil Amjad, Atiq Rehman, Hassan Jahangir and M Khaleeq.
22 PTI activists were acquitted in Gulberg police vehicle burning case while 7 accused sentenced to 10 years in prison. Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid and Omar Sarfaraz Cheema and Irfan Farooq were sentenced to 10 years in prison. Usman Siddiqui and Waqar Bashir also get 10 years in jail term.
22 accused were acquitted in Gulberg vehicle burning case which include Altaf Hussain, Rafiq Ayub, Muhammad Zeeshan, Adnan Zakir, Ahmed Hassan, Shahid Mahmood, Ishtiaq, Wasim Gul, Altaf Bashir, Muhammad Waqas, Haider Subhan Khan, Sanaullah, Taimur Jaffer, Nayyar Irfan, Rashid Akram, Shoaib Latif, Umair Arif, Mian Khizr, Arif Hussain and Haider Ali Khan.
It is pertinent to mention that 7 out of 14 cases of May 9 Lahore attacks have been decided. The prosecution pleaded that PTI leaders had incited workers to revolt and riot.
Reporter: Jamaluddin Jamali