An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday delivered its verdict in the high-profile Sherpao Bridge arson and siege case linked to the May 9 violence, acquitting senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi and several others.
The verdict was announced by the ATC judge at Kot Lakhpat Jail amid tight security arrangements. , Other key party figures have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
According to court officials, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Hamza Azeem, and six other accused were acquitted of all charges due to lack of evidence. The court found that the prosecution failed to establish their direct involvement in the violence that took place near Sherpao Bridge following the arrest of PTI Founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023.
However, the court convicted nine other individuals in the same case. Among those sentenced are senior PTI leaders Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, Ejaz Chaudhry, Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, Khalid Qayyum, Riyaz Hussain, Ali Hassan, and Afzal Azeem, who have each been awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.
A day ago, the jail trial of the Sherpao Bridge arson case concluded at Lahore’s Anti-Terrorism Court. Final statements of all accused, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Dr Yasmin Rashid, were recorded.
Sarwar Road police had already submitted the challan in court. The trial was held inside jail premises under strict security.
