An anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Saturday sentenced four senior leaders of former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party to 10 years in prison for their role in the May 9, 2023 riots, while acquitting former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and 11 others due to insufficient evidence.
Verdict details
Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Manzer Ali Gill delivered the verdict in a case linked to attacks on police vehicles in Lahore's Mughalpura area during nationwide unrest that followed Khan's arrest in May 2023. The convicted include former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, former Punjab health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, former Punjab minister Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, and former senator Ejaz Chaudhry. They were found guilty of attacking and setting fire to police vehicles. All four have been held in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2023 and have previously received sentences in other cases connected to the riots.
Acquittals and ongoing cases
The court acquitted Qureshi and 11 PTI workers, ruling insufficient evidence to support charges. However, Qureshi remains imprisoned in connection with multiple other cases and has been in custody since 2023.
PTI's response
PTI rejected the ruling, describing the case as fabricated and questioning judicial fairness. In a statement, the party said the judgment raises “profound concerns about due process, judicial fairness and the integrity of the proceedings.” The party noted that “several individuals implicated in May 9-related cases were demonstrably not even present in Pakistan at the time of the alleged incidents,” adding that “such glaring inconsistencies cast serious doubt on the credibility of the broader legal process surrounding these cases.”
The party further argued that the accused were denied guarantees of a “free and fair trial,” alleging proceedings occurred under “political pressure, restricted access, prolonged detentions and repeated violations of fundamental legal rights.” PTI claimed the outcome “appears less an exercise of justice and more a continuation of a systematic campaign to punish political opponents through the courts.” The party said it would challenge the verdict through all available legal and constitutional avenues.
Background of the riots
The case stems from violent protests across Pakistan on May 9, 2023, following Khan's arrest. Demonstrators targeted dozens of military installations and state-owned buildings, particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Khan, 73, has been held in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail since August 2023 and faces multiple legal cases. The former prime minister and his party have consistently maintained that the cases against PTI leaders are politically motivated.
