An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore has granted a nine-day physical remand for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi in connection with eight cases related to the May 9 riots. Judge Khalid Arshad of the ATC announced the reserved verdict, stipulating that the investigation report following Qureshi’s interrogation must be submitted by June 5.
The court has directed that Qureshi be interrogated via video link. According to the investigating officer, Qureshi released videos and messages on social media, all of which have been sent to a forensic lab for analysis.
Currently, Qureshi is imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on multiple charges. Additionally, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act has sentenced him to 10 years in prison for the cipher case.
On May 26, police implicated the PTI leader in eight more cases related to the attacks on May 9, 2023. These riots erupted nationwide following the arrest of deposed Prime Minister Imran Khan in the £190 million settlement case.
During the protests, PTI workers and senior leaders were detained for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations. The miscreants targeted both civil and military sites, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military has labelled May 9 as “Black Day” and plans to try the protesters under the Army Act.
The crackdown on those involved in the May 9 events led several senior members and prominent figures to distance themselves from PTI and Imran Khan.
