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LAHORE, Aug 11 (APP):An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday sentenced senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, and Omar Sarfraz Cheema to 10 years in prison in two high-profile cases linked to the May 9 violence, while acquitting PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
ATC Administrative Judge Manzer Ali Gill announced the reserved verdicts in the Shadman police station arson case and the police vehicle torching case, which had been reserved on Saturday after the conclusion of arguments by the parties.
In the Shadman Police Station arson case, 13 out of 25 accused were convicted, while 12 were acquitted.
Those handed 10-year jail terms include Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Muhammad Faheem, Niaz Ahmad, Ali Hassan, Zain Ali, Munfar, Asad Ali, and Bilal Wajahat. Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed were sentenced to 5 years each.
The acquitted include Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Muhammad Owais, Muhammad Faizan, Tayyab Sultan, Shahid Baig, Sohail Khan, Rafeeuddin, Fareed Khan, Salman Ahmad, Abdul Qadir, Majid Ali, and Bakht Rawan. Four juveniles — Owais, Faizan, Sultan, and Baig — were included among the acquitted persons.
Originally, 41 people were charged in the case; 15 were declared proclaimed offenders, and one died during proceedings.
In the second case, relating to the torching of police vehicles near Jinnah House, the court convicted 10 of the 17 accused.
Those receiving 10-year sentences include Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Ayesha Ali Bhutta, Hafiz Muhammad Arshad, Bilal Bashir, Muhammad Qasim, Zain ul Hassan, and Ali Hassan.
The court acquitted Shah Mehmood Qurteshi, Amjad Khan, Abrar Ahmad, Faisal Mianuddin, Muhammad Jamil, Saadia Naz, and Tasneem Naz.
In the Shadman FIR (768/23), the accused were charged with setting the police station ablaze and attacking law enforcement personnel. In the Sarwar Road FIR (103/23), they were accused of torching Inspector Mujahid Hussain’s vehicle, assaulting him, and snatching his pistol and SMG rifle.
The prosecution presented 45 witnesses in the Shadman case and 65 in the Sarwar Road case. Charges included arson, assault on law enforcement, and theft of official weapons.