May 9 Riots: Shah Mahmood Qureshi Acquitted in Sherpao Bridge Case

LAHORE — A Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday handed down 10-year prison sentences to key PTI leaders, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid and Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed, in relation to the May 9 riots. The court also sentenced former Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, and Afzal Azeem Pahat.

In a significant acquittal, ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was cleared of charges in the same case. Other individuals, including Hamza Azeem Pahat, Rana Tanveer, and Aizaz Rafiq, were similarly acquitted.

This verdict follows another ATC decision in Sargodha earlier Tuesday, which imposed 10-year prison terms on Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Ahmed Khan Bachar, MNA Mohammad Ahmed Chattha, and several PTI activists in a separate vandalism case tied to the May 9 unrest. That case originated in Mianwali and centered on violence sparked by former PM Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023.

The lace of legal troubles for PTI continued after the Lahore High Court last month rejected bail pleas from Imran Khan in eight different May 9-related cases, including allegations tied to the attack on Lahore’s Corps Commander House, known as Jinnah House.

PTI Condemns Verdicts, Calls Judiciary “Collapsed”
Speaking at a press conference, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan criticized the verdicts, claiming they lacked legal substance. He asserted that repeated reliance on the same two witnesses in multiple cases violates constitutional rights and that overlapping legal jurisdictions breach due process. He said, “Today’s verdicts are proof that the judiciary has collapsed.”

Legal expert Salman Akram Raja described the sentences as an assault on democracy, questioning witness credibility and noting that identical allegations have been brought against PTI figures in different courts.

Read more: May 9 case: ATC rejects bail pleas of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, other PTI leaders

In response, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik defended the rulings, stating, “All evidence was presented, all legal requirements were fulfilled.” He accused PTI of blatantly refusing to appear before courts and dismissing lawful decisions as politically motivated.

May 9 Violence: Context and Fallout
The May 9, 2023 riots erupted after Imran Khan’s arrest at the Islamabad High Court, resulting in widespread attacks on public property and military installations. Dozens of PTI leaders and supporters were arrested, many later released on bail. Khan, ousted via a no-confidence vote in April 2022, has remained incarcerated since August 2023, facing a series of legal cases including corruption and terrorism charges.

The latest string of convictions and bail denials marks a fresh legal setback for PTI amid its ongoing anti-government campaign, as the party eyes a climax by August 5 under Imran Khan’s directive from behind bars.