Lahore:
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Tuesday sentenced former Punjab Governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Ijaz Chaudhry, Dr. Yasmeen Rashid, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and others for ten years in prison each in a case related to the 9 May revolt.
The case involved charges, including the torch of a vehicle belonging to the troop of a former judge.
However, ATC judge Manzar Ali Gill acquitted former federal minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and several other PTI workers on the charges. Well -known fashion designer Khadija Shah was sentenced to five years in prison.
According to Police Challan, a total of 51 accused was nominated in the case. Of these, 12 were declared declared offenders, while 39, including five women, faced trial.
A woman, Sanam Javed, was declared a proclaimed offender. Out of the five accused women, three were acquitted.
A total of 21 accused were acquitted in the case while the rest were awarded prison.
Earlier, on August 18, Judge Gill had handed down judgments to the same PTI legislators in the “Rahat Bakery case”, observing that the 9th of May -attacks were carried out across multiple cities and targeted state buildings, military installations and monuments associated with the armed forces, contrary to global traditions of peaceful protest.
Judge Gill had issued a detailed judgment in this case that PTI leaders were found to be involved in hatching a conspiracy in connection with the attacks after the arrest of PTI Founding Chairman Imran Khan.
He wrote that protest in itself is not a crime, but that demonstrations lose their legal character when violence enters them.
The judge noted that citizens are protesting peacefully in keeping posters without taking the law in their own hands all over the world. In Pakistan, however, official buildings, police and military installations came across the country under attack
He also noted that it was a universal truth that a man can lie, but a document cannot.
“Now in this modern and digital era, it can happen or non-happing of any event is not hidden. The occurrence in the hand is an open secret.”
“The same events also became viral through social media networks, individually by tikers and youtubers. Multiple clips, snaps and other material are still available on Facebook, YouTube, X and Tiktok until today. Just by clicking the link could all visualize every single event at the tragic moments,” he added.
