Yasmin Rashid, Other PTI Leaders Sentenced to 10 Years; Qureshi Acquitted

The court at Kot Lakhpat Jail also

handed five-year jail terms to PTI

leaders Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed

Web Desk

Lahore: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore has sentenced senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, and former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema to 10 years in prison each in two major May 9 violence cases.

The verdict, announced by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill at a makeshift court in Kot Lakhpat Jail, relates to the Shadman police station arson case and the Jinnah House police vehicle torching case. The court also handed five-year jail terms to PTI leaders Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed.

In the Shadman case, 13 of 25 accused were convicted on charges of arson, attacking law enforcement, and snatching official weapons. In the Jinnah House case, 10 of 17 accused were found guilty of torching police vehicles, assaulting an inspector, and theft of weapons during the May 9 unrest.

Among those acquitted were PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, along with multiple co-accused in both cases. The court’s decision followed weeks of testimony, with the prosecution presenting over 100 witnesses across the two trials.

The May 9 riots, sparked by the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan in 2023, saw violent attacks on military installations and public property, including the Corps Commander House in Lahore and GHQ Rawalpindi. The state continues to pursue related cases, with more verdicts expected in the coming months.