• ATC releases detailed verdict in Sherpao Bridge violence case
• Judge says Shah Mehmood proved his presence in Karachi, Islamabad on day of arson
LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge, who sentenced PTI leaders in the case of violence at Sherpao Bridge on May 9, has said the convicts conspired to commit arson and were present at the site of violence.
PTI leaders, including Dr Yasmin Rashid, former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and former provincial minister Mian Mehmoodur Rashid have been convicted on 10 charges of terrorism, criminal conspiracy, rioting and injuring police personnel and damaging properties.
The verdict was announced by ATC-III Judge Arshad Javed on Tuesday.
The judge also convicted four local PTI leaders, Afzaal Azeem Pahat, Khalid Qayum Pahat, Ali Hassan Abbas, and Riaz Hussain.
The convicts have been awarded 10-year rigorous imprisonment each under section 7(i)(h) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Pakistan Penal Code, besides minor jail terms on eight charges.
They have also been awarded five-year imprisonment each under section 505 of the PPC for making statements conducing to public mischief. All sentences will run concurrently.
In the detailed order released on Thursday, the judge stated the four convicted senior leaders of PTI were exonerated of the charges of waging or conspiring to wage war against the country.
The judge observed most of the convicts, including Dr Rashid, Senator Chaudhry and Mr Rashid, didn’t dispute their presence at the site where the violence took place but claimed not to have committed any violence.
However, the prosecution produced video recordings in which the convicts were visible at the site of violence along with a mob. The defence did not challenge this evidence, the verdict added.
The judge said the record indicated the mob, armed with sticks, stones and petrol bombs, committed several acts of violence and rioting.
On the convicts’ role in violence, the judge noted once the hatching of a criminal conspiracy was established, it was not necessary for every person part of the mob to have committed violence.
On the charge of criminal conspiracy, the judge relied on the prosecution’s evidence, wherein two witnesses, who were police officials, claimed to have secretly attended PTI meetings.
In these meetings, the witnesses said, PTI Imran Khan instructed other leaders to attack military installations in case of his arrest from the Islamabad High Court.
These meetings were held at Mr Khan’s Zaman Park residence on May 7, 8 and 9, 2023.
The judge said both witnesses sufficiently described the conspiracy meetings in their statements and the defence failed to “create any plausible dent or doubt” in respect to the charge of conspiracy.
The judge maintained the conspiracy was further corroborated by a chain of events that took place soon after the arrest of Mr Khan.
“It is now an open secret that fateful incidents of 9th May 2023 took place all over the country and the modus operandi of the miscreants was to target military installations and law enforcement agencies,” the judge noted.
Qureshi’s acquittal
On the acquittal of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and five other suspects in the case, the judge observed Mr Qureshi successfully proved his presence in Karachi and Islamabad on the day of violence.
Moreover, Mr Qureshi had attended only one meeting on May 7 and was not involved in any violence that took place as per the instructions given in the meetings. Tuesday’s verdict was the first decision in any of the cases related to May 9 riots in Lahore.
Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2025
