LAHORE: The caretaker government of Punjab approached the Lahore High Court on Tuesday challenging the acquittal of PTI Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid in the Jinnah House attack case, while an antiterrorism court (ATC) allowed the Gulberg police to investigate Dr Rashid, who is on judicial remand, in a case of attack on Askari Tower, Liberty Chowk.

The Punjab caretaker government through the prosecution department filed an appeal before the high court challenging the June 4 order passed by the ATC discharging Dr Rashid in the Jinnah House attack case.

The appeal contended that the trial court passed the impugned order by ignoring facts of the case.

It said the trial court did not allow the investigating officer the custody of the suspect to conduct her photogrammetry test, voice match and recover her mobile phone(s).

Gulberg police allowed to investigate PTI leader in Askari Tower attack case

It said ample evidence had been collected by the police to establish the offence against the suspect.

The prosecution alleged that the PTI woman leader had led a mob to attack the Jinnah House. It asked the court to set aside the trial court’s order and allow the police physical remand of Dr Rashid to complete the investigation in the case.

The petition is likely to be heard on Wednesday.

Discharging Dr Rashid from the case, ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan had observed that the case record revealed that the suspect was not nominated in the FIR nor was she involved through supplementary statements.

The judge noted that the woman leader was summoned in the case based on the disclosure of a co-suspect, which had no evidentiary value in the eyes of the law.

Askari Tower attack case

The investigating officer (IO) of the Gulberg police told the ATC that the PTI woman leader was involved in the attack on the private commercial tower at Liberty Chowk during the May 9 riots.

He said the suspect was at present in the Kot Lakhpat jail on judicial remand in other May 9 cases against her.

The IO asked the court to permit the police to visit Dr Rashid in the jail to record her statement in the Askari Tower attack case. The court allowed the police to record the statement of the PTI leader inside the jail on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2023