LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore has ordered the release of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in two cases related to the May 9 riots.
Judge Manzar Ali Gul directed the jail superintendent to free Qureshi if he is not wanted in any other case. The court’s order came a day after other PTI leaders — Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, and Ejaz Chaudhry — were each sentenced to 10 years in prison, fined Rs600,000, and had their properties ordered for confiscation in the same cases.
The ATC acquitted Qureshi in both cases, which involved arson incidents at Shadman Town police station and in the Cantonment area during nationwide protests on May 9, 2023.
On May 9, 2023, violent protests broke out nationwide after Imran Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case from the premises of the Islamabad High Court. In Lahore’s Model Town, the PML-N office was set on fire, while military, government, and private properties were attacked and burned, causing extensive damage. The violence left at least eight people dead and 290 others injured.
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Protesters also attacked the Corps Commander’s residence — known as Jinnah House — in Lahore and broke a gate of the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Authorities later arrested around 1,900 people nationwide in connection with rioting, vandalism, and arson, with multiple cases registered against Imran Khan, his party leaders, and workers.
