An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has convicted several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in two separate cases linked to the May 9 riots, sentencing them to prison terms.
Former governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, and Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed were each handed 10 years’ imprisonment. PTI’s Alia Hamza and activist Sanam Javed were given five years each.
The verdict relates to the Shadman police station attack and the burning of police vehicles near Jinnah House. Both trials were held inside Kot Lakhpat Jail, where the ATC had earlier reserved its decision after hearing arguments from both sides.
The defence argued that the cases were politically motivated, lacking concrete evidence and based on forged allegations. The prosecution maintained there was substantial proof that the accused incited violence, damaged state property, and set police vehicles ablaze.
According to PTI counsel Rana Mudassar Umar, 25 people were named in the Rahat Bakery case, with seven declared absconders. In the Shadman police station case, trials were completed for 12 accused, with five in custody and one deceased.
