LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Monday framed amended charges against PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others in three more cases related to the May 9 riots, including the attack on Askari Tower.

ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill conducted the hearing at Kot Lakhpat Jail, where the amended charges were formally presented in cases that also include the burning of Shadman police station and police vehicles near the Zaman Park residence of PTI’s former chairman Imran Khan.

Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, and former minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed were presented before the makeshift court established in the jail.

The accused who are out on bail, including fashion designer Khadija Shah, social media activist Sanam Javed, and ex-MNA Aliya Hamza, also appeared before the court.

Defence lawyers Burhan Muazzam Malik and Rana Madassir Umar represented the accused.

All the accused pleaded not guilty and decided to contest the charges against them.

The judge summoned prosecution witnesses for March 13.

Last week, the court had framed amended charges against PTI leaders in three other cases.

The prosecution had requested amendments to the charge sheet, which the court accepted.

The prosecution stated that the charges against the accused had been framed in a vague and complex manner, as multiple offences had been clubbed together under one head. It argued that any accused could later take undue advantage of this to secure acquittal in the cases.

Therefore, the prosecution requested that the charges be amended so that each offence is placed under a separate head in the interest of justice and fair play.

reply sought: The Lahore High Court on Monday sought a detailed reply and para-wise comments from the Punjab government and the secretary of the local government department on a petition by Jamat-i-Islami challenging the delay in local body elections in the province.

JI leader Ziaul Salam Ansari, contended through his counsel that not conducting the LG polls violated the 18th Amendment and undermined the democratic system. He stated the inordinate delay in the local elections had been affecting development at the local level and the accountability process in the province.

He expressed regret that by not holding the local elections, the provincial government had failed to fulfill its constitutional obligation.

The JI leader asked the court to order the respondents to take immediate steps for conducting local government elections in Punjab and penalise the authorities failing to meet their constitutional obligations.

Justice Farooq Haider issued notices to the respondents for submission of their replies within a fortnight.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2025