An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Thursday issued a detailed written verdict in two cases related to arson and the encirclement of state institutions, delivering lengthy prison sentences to several senior political figures while acquitting others due to insufficient evidence.
According to the verdict, Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed was sentenced to a combined 33 years in prison under multiple sections of the law. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 600,000 on him. The sentences were awarded separately for each offence, the court clarified.
In the same ruling, former federal minister Yasmin Rashid, along with Omar Sarfaraz Cheema and Ijaz Chaudhry, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison.
However, the court acquitted 23 other accused individuals in the cases, citing a lack of credible evidence linking them to the alleged crimes.
The written verdict noted that the prosecution presented extensive digital and forensic material during the trial. This included details of WhatsApp messages, data from 70 social media accounts, and forensic reports, all of which were examined by the court.
The judgment also referenced findings of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which had concluded that the convicted accused were involved in the offences. The court observed that the accused neither challenged the JIT report in any legal forum nor raised objections during the trial.
Despite the evidence presented, the verdict mentioned that the accused maintained their innocence in their statements before the court.
The ruling marks a significant development in the cases linked to the violent incidents, with the court adding that its decision was based on documentary, digital, and forensic evidence placed on record.
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