LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court indicted PTI’s Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid, Senator Ijaz Chaudhry, former provincial minister Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and others on Tuesday in two cases of May 9 riots.

A prosecutor presented the charge sheets in the court against the suspects in cases of attack on Shadman Police Station and burning vehicles near Rahat Bakery Chowk in the cantonment area.

The suspects pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the trial.

Judge Naveed Iqbal di­­r­ected the prosecution to present its witnesses at the next hearing.

The judge also decided to hold further trial proceedings in jail, keeping in view the convenience for the defen­­ce and prosecution lawyers.

The copies of the challans (investigation repo­rts) have already been supplied to the suspects.

Sarwar Road police registered FIR No. 108 against the PTI leaders and workers on charges of torching official vehicles in Lahore’s cantonment during the May 9 attacks. Shadman police registered FIR No. 768 regarding the attack on the police station.

The leaders and activists of the party resorted to violent protests on May 9 last year after the arrest of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan in a corruption case.

Yasmin’s bail

An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday sought arguments from the prosecution on a post-arrest bail petition of Dr Rashid in a May 9 case of burning police vehicles in Gulberg.

Special prosecutor Ma­­nsoor Bokhari requested the court for an adjournment to advance his arguments against the petition.

Judge Arshad Javed allowed the request and directed the prosecutor to come up with his arguments on Feb 10.

Another anti-terrorism court sought arguments from the defence on the post-arrest bail petitions of 147 suspects in the Jinnah House attack case.

The court also directed the prosecution to produce the record of the case against the suspects on Wednesday (today).

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2024