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Lahore ATC indicts PTI Punjab leaders in May 9 riots case

All accused plead not guilty in case

By Naveen Ali
November 21, 2023
it will mention how, with the help of social media, the global youth has taken to the streets and demanded answers from world leaders over their contribution to the welfare of Palestinians suffering in Gaza, highlighting the impact of social media. — PPI
it will mention how, with the help of social media, the global youth has taken to the streets and demanded answers from world leaders over their contribution to the welfare of Palestinians suffering in Gaza, highlighting the impact of social media. — PPI

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) Tuesday indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhary and Rubina Jameel in the May 9 riots case.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty in the case, which has kept them behind bars for several months after the country saw one of the most violent riots in history after PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest in a £190 million graft case.

The ATC has now summoned the witnesses in the case to record their statements on December 16, while copies of the challan were distributed among the accused during the previous hearing.

All three accused have been booked in two cases at the Sarwar Road police station in Lahore.

It should be noted that the ATC extended Dr Rashid's judicial remand, handing her over to the Punjab Police till November 27 in a case related to the provocative speeches delivered on May 9 against state institutions at Lahore's Sherpao Bridge.

Following the riots and a stream of arrests that followed, Khan was released in the Toshkhana case, but many of his party's leaders, workers and supporters remained behind bars or were being rearrested time and again in multiple cases registered against them.

At present, the PTI chief and his party's Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi are being held in custody in the cipher case, while other leaders remain jailed in cases pertaining to the violence that ensued on May 9 with their trials being conducted across various courts in the country.

May 9 riots

The May 9 riots were triggered almost across the country after deposed prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest in the £190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations.

During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.