May 9 riots : Verdict reserved in police vehicle burning case

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday reserved its verdict after completion of proceedings in a case of burning police vehicles in Mughalpura during the May 9 riots.

ATC Judge Manzer Ali Gill conducted the hearing of the case and reserved the decision after both prosecution and defence concluded their final arguments.

The judge is likely to announce the verdict on June 20.

During the trial, 37 prosecution witnesses recorded their statements before the court.

Police had registered the case against several Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed.

The prosecution urged the court to convict the accused persons on charges of attacks, vandalism and setting police vehicles on fire during protests following the events of May 9.

These PTI leaders, except Mr Qureshi, have been handed down sentences by the ATCs in five cases, including those pertaining to an attack on Shadman police station, violence at Sherpao Bridge, burning police vehicles near Rahat Bakery and torching a vehicle of a Supreme Court judge’s squad near Jinnah House during the May 9 protests.

The convictions involve charges, including abetment of violence and criminal conspiracy, with each accused awarded an average sentence of 10-year term in the respective cases.

Qureshi was acquitted in all the five cases for being not present in Lahore on the day of occurrences.

The May 9 riots had erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan by the National Accountability Bureau on the Islamabad High Court premises in Al-Qadir Trust case.

Following Khan’s arrest, PTI leaders and workers attacked military facilities and public property across the country.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2026