During the hearing of a bail application in cases related to the violent incidents of May 9th, senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr. Yasmin Rashid addressed the judge, saying, “If something happens to me in jail, you will be responsible. It’s not just about me; all our friends should be granted bail.”
The hearing took place at the Shadman Police Station in Lahore, where five cases, including arson, were being heard against senior PTI leaders, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Omar Cheema, and Ejaz Chaudhry.
During the hearing, Shah Mehmood Qureshi approached the rostrum and requested to take an oath on the Quran. He said, “Let the court take an oath from me and the prosecution on the Quran. Forget about evidence and witnesses; now, the matter will be decided on an oath on the Quran.”
Qureshi, along with Omar Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, and others, requested the judge to decide on Dr. Yasmin Rashid’s bail. The PTI leaders stated that Dr. Yasmin Rashid is a cancer patient, and they were willing to withdraw their own bail applications.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged the judge to decide on Dr. Yasmin Rashid’s bail, to which the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge responded that he had summoned the record and would make a decision that day. He also mentioned issuing multiple show-cause notices to the investigating officers for not presenting the record.
Judge Khalid Arshad expressed his surprise at the delay in receiving the records, saying, “I am surprised why the record hasn’t arrived. I would have decided this in one or two hearings.”
Dr. Yasmin Rashid reiterated her concern to the judge, stating, “If something happens to me in jail, you will be responsible. It’s not just me; all our friends should be granted bail.”
The prosecutor responded by saying that they had not declared anyone innocent and that six individuals were still fugitives. Shah Mehmood Qureshi corrected the prosecutor, stating, “They are not fugitives; they are government officials.”
After hearing arguments from both sides, ATC Judge Khalid Arshad postponed further proceedings in the cases until September 2.
It is noteworthy that on May 9th last year, following the arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case from the premises of the Islamabad High Court, PTI staged nationwide protests. During these protests, various incidents of arson and vandalism occurred, including the burning of the PML-N office in Lahore’s Model Town, and the destruction of military, civil, and private installations. Government and private properties suffered significant damage, with at least eight people killed and 290 injured during the unrest.
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Protesters also stormed the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore, known as Jinnah House, and broke a gate of the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
In the aftermath, around 1,900 individuals involved in the clashes, vandalism, and arson across the country were arrested, and cases were registered against Imran Khan, his party leaders, and workers.
