Daily Times

An anti-terrorism court on Monday indicted former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and 20 other individuals in connection with the planning of the May 9 riots, a day marked by widespread unrest following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The court session, held at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail, addressed charges linked to alleged planning and incitement to violence at the Race Course police station.

Judge presiding over the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) formally charged Qureshi, Ejaz Chaudhry, and former Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, along with 18 others, in the case.

Following the indictment, the ATC ordered that witnesses appear at the next hearing.

The accused, including prominent leaders of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, are being prosecuted under anti-terrorism laws, which the government argues are necessary to address the severity of the alleged incitement.

Earlier in the day, the Special Anti-Terrorism Court saw progress in all 14 cases related to the incident of May 9. Three leaders of the PTI, who had previously agreed to become approvers, have formally retracted their statements against the party.

The three PTI leaders-Sadaqat Abbasi, Waseem Qayoom, and Umar Tanveer Butt-who had been designated as approvers by the police, have now withdrawn their testimonies.

They appeared before the court in Rawalpindi, where they filed requests to retract their confessional statements.

As a result, the police investigation teams have removed their names from the list of approvers and added them to the list of accused individuals.

The defense lawyer for the accused, Dr. Babar Awan, stated that the police cases were primarily built on the statements of the approvers, but now, that foundation has collapsed.

The court also granted exemption from personal attendance to 24 other accused individuals, including Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Zain Qureshi, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul. The hearing has been adjourned until December 2.

Additionally, the police investigation teams submitted supplementary charge sheets against PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shibli Faraz, and Omar Ayub in the cases.

It is worth noting that 368 PTI workers have been named as accused in these cases.

Separately, an Islamabad court acquitted former prime minister Imran Khan and other party leaders, including Faisal Vawda and Sheikh Rashid, in a case filed under the amplifier act and section 144 violations at the Aabpara police station.

Judicial Magistrate Yasir Mahmood Chaudhry issued the detailed judgement, highlighting inconsistencies in the prosecution’s narrative.

The court observed that the prosecution alleged a crowd of 1,000 to 1,200 individuals attacked police officers, yet no injuries to police personnel were reported.

The judgement noted significant doubts surrounding the prosecution’s account and ruled that the complainant’s allegations could not be substantiated.

The court further remarked that even if the trial proceeded, the likelihood of a conviction was minimal due to the weak evidence presented. It ordered the release of all accused, including PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Shibli Faraz, Asad Qaiser, and Fayaz ul Hassan Chohan, provided they were not detained in other cases.

The case, registered in August 2022, accused the PTI leadership of violating section 144 during a political gathering. The court also instructed the return of surety bonds submitted by the accused.

This acquittal marks a significant legal relief for PTI leaders amidst ongoing political and legal challenges.

Separately, A local court on Monday extended the interim bails of PTI founder and Bushra Bibi till December 7, in Toshakhana receipt case.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka heard the pre-arrest bail case of the two accused. The court also granted one-time exemption from hearing to Bushra Bibi on a request filed by her lawyer.

At the outset of hearing, the FIA’s investigation officer into the case prayed the court to grant time for verification of Toshakhana receipt case. The court accepted the request and adjourned hearing till December 7.