Lahore, August 11, 2025: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi in two separate May 9 cases, while awarding 10-year prison terms to Dr Yasmin Rashid, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed, former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, and several other party members.
ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill announced the verdict at a makeshift court inside Kot Lakhpat Jail, where the proceedings were held. The court had reserved its decision late last week after hearing final arguments, scheduling the verdict for August 11.
In the Jinnah House vehicle torching case, the court sentenced Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed, Ayesha Ali Bhutta, Muhammad Fahim, Niaz Ahmed, Ali Hasan, Zain Ali, Asad Ali, Bilal Wajahat, Bilal Bashir, Muhammad Qasim, Zain ul Hassan, and Hafiz Muhammad Arshad to 10 years imprisonment each. Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed were given five-year jail terms.
Qureshi, along with co-accused Abrar, Amjad, Faisal, Jamil, Saadia, and Tasneem, was acquitted in the same case.
In the Shadman Police Station torching case, the court acquitted 12 out of 25 accused, including Qureshi, Sohail Khan, Muhammad Owais, Rafiuddin, Farid Khan, Salman Ahmed, Abdul Qadir, Faizan, Tayyab Sultan, Shahid Baig, Majid Ali, and Bakht. Several suspects had earlier been declared absconders in both cases, while one accused died during the trial.
None of the accused on bail, including Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed, were present in court when the verdict was announced.
The cases stem from the violence on May 9, 2023, when thousands of PTI supporters attacked public property and military installations — including the Corps Commander House in Lahore — following the arrest of party founder Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court premises in a graft case.
The unrest, in which lives were lost, also saw rioters target the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and other sensitive installations. Dozens of PTI leaders and workers were detained, with some later granted bail. Many remain in custody, while Khan — the first prime minister in Pakistan’s history to be ousted through a no-confidence vote — has been incarcerated since August 2023, facing multiple charges ranging from corruption to terrorism.
