An Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore on Wednesday charged 32 people, including PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, in a May 9 case over alleged arson of the PML-N office in Model Town.
Nationwide protests broke out on May 9, 2023, after paramilitary Rangers snatched PTI founder Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case. As the protests unfolded, social media was flooded with images of rioting and vandalism at several places, including the residence of the Lahore Corps Commander and Headquarters, the head of the army office in Rawalpindi.
An offensive was subsequently launched against PTI leaders and supporters. Around a dozen cases were registered against PTI leaders and workers in Lahore alone for attacking and vandalizing public and private properties as well as military installations.
The defendants denied committing the crime at today’s arraignment. The court summoned the prosecution witnesses on January 23.
PTI social media activist Sanam Javed also appeared before the court and completed her attendance.
Speaking to the media on the occasion, Rashid criticized the PPP leaders for the government’s failure to comply with the production orders issued by Senate President Yousaf Raza Gillani for Chaudhry in the Senate session. on Tuesday.
He said President Asif Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari “should be ashamed of themselves” that no one was listening to the Senate President.
He added that the government was violating the sanctity of the upper house of parliament.
“Our workers were convicted by military courts, hundreds of our workers are imprisoned and the media is being silenced creating an atmosphere of fear,” he alleged.
Rashid alleged that his party was being suppressed through the 26th Constitutional Amendment and that the government was ignoring the Senate President’s order.
“We condemn the exclusion of Ejaz Chaudhry from the meeting,” he said, adding that “Pakistan cannot move forward until justice is done.”
Rashid has been in prison for more than a year and a half in connection with multiple cases against him related to the events of May 9.
She was first detained on May 12, 2023, under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and later arrested for her alleged involvement in the May 9 riots.
Separately, Gilani had earlier this week issued a production order for Chaudhry, who has been imprisoned for 18 months, so that he could attend the Senate session.
This was not the first production order issued for the senator, who is imprisoned in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail. In March of last year, he was to be presented in the Senate but was unable to attend the session.
