LAHORE: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday indicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Yasmin Rashid, Main Mehmoodur Rasheed and Ejaz Chaudhry in the May 9 vandalism case.
After the former prime minister’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case, PTI leaders were arrested at Shadman police station on May 9 for vandalism.
After the indictment, the ATC ordered a trial with the suspects in jail.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Home Department has submitted a comprehensive report on the May 9 riots.
The 17-page report, approved by the Standing Committee on Law and Order, officially attributed the May 9 violence in Lahore to Imran Khan and the PTI central leadership. The report said the events were pre-planned.
According to the rules, the report was a regular part of official documents.
The report characterizes the events as a “war against the state” and states that the attack on the army and state institutions was pre-planned. “The institutions were attacked at the behest of PTI’s central and local leadership,” he added.
The report holds the PTI leadership accountable and names individuals like Hammad Azhar, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Umar Sarfaraz Cheema, Mansab Awan, Azam Khan Niazi, Bajash Niazi and Murad Raas.
On 9 May 2023, there was a nationwide protest by PTI supporters during which a wave of violence erupted, resulting in significant damage to public and private property as well as loss of life and injuries.
The protests descended into chaos as military, civilian and private facilities were targeted, with reports of arson, vandalism and clashes with law enforcement.
Protesters particularly attacked the residence of the Corps Commander in Lahore – also known as Jinnah House, while the gate of the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was breached.
In response to the chaos, law enforcement agencies quickly moved in and arrested approximately 1,900 individuals allegedly involved in the violence and unrest. Cases were also registered against Imran Khan and other PTI workers in connection with the May 9 events.
