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LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday indicted incarcerated PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, its Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid, former governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and others in another case of May 9 riots.
ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill conducted the hearing of four cases of last year’s widespread violence at Kot Lakhpat Jail.
The judge directed the prosecution to present its witnesses to testify on Dec 2 after the suspects pleaded not guilty in case of burning police vehicles near Mughalpura.
The judge adjourned the hearing of other three cases, including attacking and torching Shadman police station and vehicles near Jinnah House in cantonment, till Nov 28.
Aslam Iqbal declared proclaimed offender
The indictment of the suspects could not be made in the three cases due to the absence of PTI former MNA Aliya Hamza Malik and activist Sanam Javed, who are on bail.
The women’s lawyers filed separate requests for a one-day exemption from attendance, saying both had gone to Peshawar to attend hearings against them. The judge directed the prosecution to ensure the presence of all suspects at the next hearing for the indictment.
On Nov 18, the court indicted Mr Qureshi and other PTI leaders in multiple cases, including burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House and Sherpao Bridge in cantonment, and outside Zaman Park residence of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan.
Later, the PTI challenged their indictment in the Sherpao Bridge case and the court sought a reply from the prosecution on the application of the suspects. The suspects argued that the process of the indictment had been conducted in an unlawful manner.
Proclaimed offender
Meanwhile, the anti-terrorism court on Thursday declared PTI MPA Mian Aslam Iqbal a proclaimed offender (PO) in yet another case of May 9 riots and issued his perpetual arrest warrants.
Gulberg police filed an application before the court with a request to declare Iqbal a PO in FIR No 1273/23 of Askari Tower attack for not surrendering to the law and deliberately avoiding legal proceedings against him.
The court allowed the police request and declared the PTI leader a PO in the case, issuing his perpetual arrest warrants.
MPA Mian Aslam Iqbal has already been declared PO in multiple cases of May 9 protests for not surrendering to the law.
Published in Dawn, November 22th, 2024
Wajih Ahmad Sheikh is a Lahore-based correspondent for Dawn with over two decades of experience covering legal affairs and judicial developments. He can be found on X at @wajihsheikh.
