LAHORE: PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi along with other party leaders on Tuesday challenged their indictment in a May 9 case before an anti-terrorism court (ATC).

Judge Arshad Javed of the ATC-III conducted trial of the May 9 cases inside Kot Lakhpat jail, as the PTI leaders filed an application raising objections to their indictment in a case of torching police vehicles near Sherpao Brid­­­ge in Lahore cantonment.

The judge issued a notice to the prosecution seeking a reply regarding the objections to the indictment raised by Mr Qureshi, Umar Cheema, PTI’s Punjab chapter president Dr Yasmin Rashid and others.

They argued that the process of the indictment had been conducted in an ‘unlawful’ manner.

Meanwhile, the judge recorded statements from six prosecution witnesses, including police constables Yousaf and Rasheed, in the case and adjourned further proceedings till Nov 25.

Separately, Judge Man­zer Ali Gill of ATC-I ext­e­nded the interim pre-ar­rest bail of former finance minister Asad Umar till Dec 7 in three cases related to the May 9 riots. Mr Umar, who hails from Karachi, did not appear before the court, though his lawyer sought a one-time exemption from personal appearance.

The judge allowed the request and extended Mr Umar’s bail in cases of attacks at Jinnah House, Askari Tower and Shadman police station.

The judge also extended till Dec 7 the pre-arrest bail of PTI leaders Musar­rat Iqbal Cheema and her husband, Jamshed Cheema in May 9 cases.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2024