LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday sentenced four Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mehmoodur Rashid and Ejaz Chaudhry, besides several others to 10 years in prison in cases related to the May 9 riots. ATC Judge Arshad Javed announced the verdict inside the Kot Lakhpat Jail. The cases, registered by Gulberg and Naseerabad police, related to the burning of vehicles in Gulberg and a container at Kalma Chowk during the May 9 riots in 2023. The Gulberg police’s chargesheet named 33 individuals, while Naseerabad police submitted a separate chargesheet listing 36 suspects connected to the Kalma Chowk container arson case.
In the Gulberg case, seven suspects — including Rashid — have been sentenced to 10 years each, 22 have been acquitted while four suspects have been declared absconding.
In the Kalma Chowk case, the ATC sentenced a total of 24 individuals to 10 years each, acquitted five and declared seven suspects absconding.
The sentences follow five earlier convictions of Rashid, Cheema, Mahmoodur Rashid and Chaudhry in cases linked to the May 9 riots. The court declared PTI’s Mian Aslam Iqbal absconding in both cases.
