In a significant legal development, the Civil Lines police station case related to the May 9 riots has reached a major verdict. Out of 108 accused, 107 individuals were handed 10-year prison sentences, while one person received a three-year jail term. At the same time, 77 others were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
Notable political figures — including former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, MNA Zain Qureshi (son of PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi), MPA Khayal Ahmad Kastro, and Faizullah Kamoka — were acquitted in all three cases registered against them.
The court also issued arrest warrants for those convicted who were not present during the hearing, directing police to apprehend them and ensure their imprisonment.
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Other Related Verdicts
On July 23, a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sentenced Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, and other PTI leaders to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in connection with vandalism at Sherpao Bridge. However, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and five others were acquitted in that case.
The same day, a Sargodha ATC announced sentences for dozens of PTI leaders, including former Punjab Assembly opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar, in another May 9-related case registered at Musakhel police station.
Earlier, on December 21 and 26 last year, a military court sentenced 85 civilians — among them former prime minister Imran Khan’s nephew Hassaan Niazi — to up to 10 years in prison for their role in the unrest. Later, 19 of these sentences were commuted on humanitarian grounds, while 48 mercy petitions were forwarded to Courts of Appeal for review.
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Law Minister’s Stance: Talks, Not Tensions
Speaking in the Senate, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar emphasized that issues of disqualifications and convictions cannot be resolved through public stunts but require genuine dialogue.
“I will not debate the punishments,” he said, “but on May 9, people saw Jinnah House burning.” He stressed that the judicial process must be respected, pointing to legal remedies
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The May 9 events remain a defining political and legal flashpoint in Pakistan’s recent history — with courtrooms delivering verdicts, leaders voicing their stands, and the public still divided over what justice should look like.