• All suspects plead not guilty, will contest the charges
• Judge directs prosecution to present witnesses on 25th
• Qureshi calls on workers not to heed ‘misinformation’, stand by Imran

LAHORE: An antiterrorism court on Monday indicted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, PTI’s Punjab president Dr Yasmin Rashid, former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, former provincial minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and others in multiple cases relating to May 9, 2023 riots.

ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Khan went to Kot Lakhpat jail to conduct the hearing as the former foreign minister was brought there from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

A special prosecutor presented the charge sheets before the court in cases of attacks on the Shadman police station and burning of police vehicles near the corps commander’s residence in Lahore Cantt and outside the Zaman Park residence of PTI founder, Imran Khan.

All the suspects pleaded not guilty and decided to contest the trial. The suspects asked the court to instruct the prosecutor to read the charges.

However, the prosecutor said there were some deficiencies in the charge sheets. The judge directed the prosecution to present its witnesses on Nov 25.

The prosecutor also distributed copies of a supplementary challan among 10 new suspects, including Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed in Askari Tower attack case.

The judge directed the prosecution to present the suspects for indictment at the next hearing.

‘Stand with Imran’

In a brief conversation with media persons, Mr Qureshi expressed his pledge to stand by Imran Khan and the PTI. He advised workers to pay no heed to the ‘misinformation’ being spread by the government about differences within the party.

He urged the party workers to fully participate in the Nov 24 protest announced by former premier Imran Khan.

Mr Qureshi said the three-day smog-related lockdown imposed by the government in Multan was in fact meant to sabotage the PTI protest.

Dr Yasmin lamented that not a single trial in May 9 cases had been concluded despite the lapse of over a year. She said proceedings on her bail petitions were being delayed by the prosecution on one pretext or the other.

She said the prosecution had no evidence against her.

Senator Ejaz said he had been kept in solitary confinement and denied his right to attend Senate sessions. Mr Cheema accused the government of misusing the antiterrorism law to curb political rivals.

The suspects on bail, including fashion designer Khadija Shah, appeared before the court to attend the hearing of the cases against them.

However, PTI’s former MNAs Aliya Hamza Malik and Rubina Jamil, and activist Sanam Javed sought one-time exemption from personal appearance, which was allowed by the judge.

Shadman police had registered a case against PTI leaders and activists on charges of attacking and burning the police station during the May 9 riots following the arrest of former premier Imran Khan in a graft case by NAB.

Sarwar Road police lodged a case about torching police vehicles outside the Jinnah House, which also serves as residence of the Lahore corps commander.

Race Course police registered a case of burning police vehicles outside Zaman Park.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2024