ATC reserves verdict in May 9 police vehicle burning case in Lahore

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Thursday reserved its judgment in a case relating to the burning of police vehicles in Mughalpura during the May 9 unrest, after the prosecution and defence completed their final arguments.

ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill heard the matter and reserved the decision at the conclusion of proceedings. The verdict is expected to be announced on June 20.

During the trial, 37 prosecution witnesses recorded their statements before the court. Police had lodged the case against many Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed.

The prosecution asked the court to convict the accused on charges related to attacks, vandalism and the torching of police vehicles during protests that followed the events of May 9.

Related May 9 cases

All of the PTI leaders named in the case except Mr Qureshi have already been sentenced by anti-terrorism courts in five other cases linked to the May 9 protests. These include cases concerning the attack on Shadman police station, violence at Sherpao Bridge, the burning of police vehicles near Rahat Bakery and the torching of a vehicle belonging to a Supreme Court judge’s squad near Jinnah House.

Those convictions involve allegations including abetment of violence and criminal conspiracy. In those cases, each of the accused was handed an average sentence of 10 years.

Mr Qureshi, however, was acquitted in all five cases on the grounds that he was not present in Lahore on the day the incidents took place.

Background to the unrest

The May 9 riots broke out after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan by the National Accountability Bureau at the premises of the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Following his arrest, PTI leaders and workers attacked military installations and public property in different parts of the country.