ISLAMABAD/LAH­ORE: A court in Islamabad on Saturday acquitted several senior PTI leaders, including its chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, in two protest-related cases from last year, while in Lahore, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was granted post-arrest bail in a May 9, 2023, riots case.

Islamabad Judicial Mag­istrate Shahzad Ah­med anno­unced the verdict after reserving it earlier in the day, accepting the acquittal applications filed in case numbers 425 and 498 registered with the Karachi Company Police Station. The protest in question was organised on April 26, 2024, and moved from the office of PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen towards the Karachi Com­pany, reportedly in violation of Section 144 and other legal provisions.

During the proceedings, PTI leaders Shoaib Shaheen and Muhammad Ali Bukhari appeared before the court, while exemption pleas on behalf of Barrister Gohar and Omar Ayub were submitted and duly accepted.

The defence counsel argued that the case had no legal basis as the FIRs were filed by unrelated parties and that eight individuals arrested at the scene had already been discharged during the investigation.

The magistrate questioned the non-appearance of co-accused Amir Dogar and Amir Mughal.

The defence requested the court to decide their cases on merit, similar to the other accused. The court was also informed that Murad Saeed, who had previously faced related charges, had been acquitted in other cases despite his prolonged non-appearance.

After hearing all arguments, the court acquitted Barrister Gohar, Omar Ayub, Ali Bukhari, Shoaib Shaheen, Malik Rafique, Amir Dogar, Amir Mughal and others.

Bail for Qureshi

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore granted post-arrest bail to Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the Shadman Police Station attack case during the May 9 riots.

ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill announced a verdict reserved on the bail petition of Mr Qureshi and allowed the bail subject to surety bonds of Rs100,000.

The judge deferred till June 26 a decision on another bail petition of the PTI leader in a case relating to the burning of police vehicles near Lahore Corps Commander House.

Qureshi’s counsel had argued that the PTI leader was not even present in Lahore on May 9 — the day of the alleged attack — and was in Karachi with his wife for her medical treatment.

The counsel stated that the allegation of conspiracy against Mr Qureshi regarding the May 9 attacks was not proven. He said the petitioner should be granted bail, as many co-suspects in the same case had already been allowed bail.

Earlier, former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema also filed a bail petition in the same Shadman Police Station attack case.

The judge allowed the prosecution more time to present the record of the case and adjourned the hearing till June 24.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2025