LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore re-indicted senior PTI leaders, including Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr. Yasmin Rashid, in cases related to the May 9 riots, ARY News reported on Monday.
The hearing, presided over by ATC Admin Judge Manzar Ali Gul, focused on three cases connected to the vandalism near Jinnah House following Imran Khan’s arrest.
The court amended the earlier charges against the accused after a request from the prosecution. During Monday’s proceedings, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid, Sanam Javed, Khadija Shah, and other party leaders were formally re-indicted.
However, all the accused refused to accept the charges, after which the court summoned witnesses to appear on March 6.
This re-indictment adds to the legal troubles for Qureshi, who is already imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. Apart from these cases, he also faces eight new charges linked to the May 9 violence.
The May 9 riots erupted across Pakistan after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the £190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and leaders were detained over alleged violence and attacks on military sites.
Previously, a special court sentenced Qureshi to 10 years in the cipher case under the Official Secrets Act, but this verdict was overturned by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in June.
