The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has ordered the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The order was issued in connection with two cases linked to the events of May 9, in which Qureshi has been acquitted.
ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul issued a letter to the Superintendent of Jail, instructing that Qureshi be released immediately if he is not wanted in any other case.
A day earlier, the ATC had announced its verdict in cases related to the Shadman police station arson incident and the burning of vehicles near Jinnah House. The verdict, delivered inside Kot Lakhpat Jail, acquitted Qureshi in two more May 9 cases, while other PTI leaders — Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, and Ejaz Chaudhry — were each sentenced to 10 years in prison.
It is worth noting that following the arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case from the Islamabad High Court premises, PTI supporters launched nationwide protests. On May 9 in Lahore, the office of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was set on fire, and military, civilian, and private properties were damaged.
During these protests, demonstrators also stormed the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore and broke a gate at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. In the aftermath, law enforcement agencies arrested more than 1,900 individuals involved in rioting, vandalism, and arson.
