A Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court on Wednesday indicted 32 people, including PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, in a May 9 case of allegedly setting fire to the PML-N office in Model Town.

Countrywide protests erupted on May 9, 2023, after the paramilitary Rangers whisked away PTI founder Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case. While the protests were underway, social media was flooded with footage of rioting and vandalism at various spots, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s residence and General Headquarters, the army’s head of office in Rawalpindi.

A crackdown was subsequently launched against the PTI’s leaders and supporters. Around a dozen cases were registered in Lahore alone against PTI leaders and workers for attacking and vandalising public and private property besides army facilities.

The accused denied that they had committed the crime in today’s indictment proceedings. The court summoned the prosecution witnesses on January 23.

PTI social media activist Sanam Javed also appeared in court and completed her attendance.

Speaking to the media at the occasion, Rashid criticised the PPP leadership over the lack of government compliance with the production orders issued by Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani for Chaudhry in Tuesday’s Senate session.

She said President Asif Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari “should be ashamed of themselves” that no one was listening to the Senate chairman.

She added that the government was violating the sanctity of the upper house of parliament.

“Our workers were sentenced by military courts, hundreds of our workers are being imprisoned and the media is being silenced by creating an atmosphere of fear,” she alleged.

Rashid alleged that her party was being suppressed through the 26th Constitutional Amendment and the government was ignoring the Senate chairman’s order.

“We condemn Ejaz Chaudhry’s exclusion from the meeting,” she said adding that “Pakistan cannot move forward until justice is done.”

Rashid has been in prison for more than a year and a half now in connection with multiple cases against her regarding the events of May 9.

She was first detained on May 12, 2023, under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and later arrested for her alleged involvement in the May 9 riots.

Separately, Gilani had issued a production order earlier this week for Chaudhry, who has been incarcerated for 18 months, so that he could attend the Senate session.

This was not the first production order issued for the senator, who is imprisoned at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail. In March last year, he was due to be produced in the Senate but was unable to attend the session.