6 months ago, The News reported Qureshi missing from May 9 report

ISLAMABAD: A trial court on Tuesday acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Deputy Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi of all charges related to the May 9 riots- an outcome that reinforces a critical point raised by The News nearly six months ago. On February 25 this year, The News had exclusively reported that Qureshi’s name was conspicuously absent from a cabinet committee report prepared by the last caretaker government on the alleged orchestration of violence during the May 9, 2023. Despite facing FIRs related to the incidents- widely condemned as one of the most brazen attacks on state institutions- Qureshi was never directly named in the official findings of the committee. His absence from the report, along with that of PTI President Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, raised questions about the evidentiary basis for the charges brought against them.

The cabinet committee report, which was later presented to the current federal cabinet, laid out alleged roles of numerous PTI leaders, including Chairman Imran Khan, accusing him of actively planning the events that led to violence. A long list of party figures including Hammad Azhar, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Farrukh Habib, Ali Amin Gandapur, Yasmin Rashid, Mehmood Rashid, and many others- were named for their alleged involvement. Yet, both Qureshi and Elahi were not mentioned at all.

The acquittal today lends weight to earlier reporting and calls into question the rationale behind Qureshi’s prolonged legal entanglement. The News had underlined the discrepancy between the caretaker government’s findings and the blanket FIRs that ensnared senior PTI figures regardless of their documented roles. The February report by The News had stated, “The omission of Elahi and Qureshi from the caretaker government’s findings raises questions, particularly as both remain entangled in legal battles linked to May 9.”

The acquittal marks a significant legal victory for Qureshi, who has consistently denied any involvement in the riots. It also intensifies scrutiny of the legal process that followed the May 9 events, as many PTI leaders continue to face charge.