It is worth mentioning here that on July 22 an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore sentenced several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry to 10 years in prison and acquitted Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a case pertaining to arson and vandalism on May 9.
The court also ordered the acquittal of Hamza Azim and five other accused individuals, clearing them of charges related to the May 9 riots.
The trial court pronounced its reserved verdict in the case related to rioting at Sherpao Bridge on May, 2023 following PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest.
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Ali Hassan, Afzal Azeem Khalid Qayyum, Riaz Hussain, and former Punjab Governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema are among those jailed for 10 years.
May 9 violence
Violent clashes were broken out across Pakistan after former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, 2023.
The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.
Army installations, including Corps Commander’s house in Lahore, had come under attack during the protests by PTI workers.