Yasmin Rashid, Omar Cheema, and other PTI leaders are sentenced to ten years in prison by the ATC in cases from May 9.

LAHORE (A News)- On Saturday, an anti-terrorism court convicted four Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and three others to ten years in prison for the May 9 disturbance.

The decision was pronounced inside Kot Lakhpat Jail by ATC Judge Arshad Javed, who sentenced Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rashid, and Ijaz Chaudhry. The court also ordered the arrest and presentation of 12 absconding defendants, including Mian Aslam Iqbal.

The trial included 24 defendants in the Kalma Chowk container-burning case. The prosecution called 37 witnesses, and the Nasirabad Police produced challans for 36 of the defendants. Several absconders throughout the proceedings were Murad Saeed, Zubair Niazi, Ali Hasan Nawaz, Shabbir Hussain, Aziz-ur-Rehman, Zarif Khan, Syed Khan, Muhammad Javed, Abdul Samad, Hammad Azhar, and Wasiq Qayyum.

The court stated that the defendants were charged with inciting revolt and inciting civil disorder. In total, PTI officials have been condemned to more than 200 years in many May 9 trials.

Dr Yasmin Rashid’s lawyer, Rana Mudasir Umar, informed the media that, while the cases were scheduled for ordinary procedures, the defence was not given a full opportunity to present their case, and that the judgments were revealed late at night. He emphasized that the imprisoned leaders remain steadfast and that their sentences would be appealed in higher courts.