LAHORE: Former Punjab health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, currently incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat Jail, has welcomed the recent Peshawar sessions court judgement related to the May 9 cases, calling it “a breath of fresh air” in what she described as Pakistan’s ongoing judicial crisis.

Referring specifically to the observations made by the judge, she said the ruling had restored hope among political prisoners and their families that constitutional principles and judicial independence still survive within the system.

In remarks conveyed from jail through her legal counsel Rana Mudassar Umer, the PTI leader said the judgement was “like a light at the end of the tunnel,” adding that “one judge stands up on his principles.”

Amid continuing national debate over judicial independence, the handling of May 9-related cases, and allegations of selective accountability within Pakistan’s legal and political system, Dr Rashid expressed hope that other members of the judiciary would also demonstrate similar courage and independence in cases linked to the post-May 9 crackdown. She further called for the establishment of a judicial commission to examine the arrests, prosecutions, and treatment of political workers detained after the events of May 9.

PTI leader Dr Rashid maintained that there remained “no evidence” against many political detainees, who continue to face imprisonment and repeated prosecutions. She argued that the prolonged incarceration of political workers despite weak or disputed evidence had raised serious questions about due process and equal application of the law.

In sharply worded comments, Dr Rashid contrasted the treatment of political prisoners with what she described as preferential treatment for politically connected individuals. She alleged that while political workers were “treated like terrorists,” influential figures like ‘Pinky the cocaine queen’ walk through the corridors of justice as if they own them.

She also strongly criticised the treatment of women prisoners, describing it as “one of the saddest chapters in Pakistan’s judicial history.”

Referring to maltreatment of women prisoners, Dr Rashid stated that unwell female detainees were being denied legal protections and relief ordinarily available under the law, including bail and adequate medical consideration.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2026