LAHORE -UNS: Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) ,Lahore has granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the May 9 Shadman arson case.
The decision was announced by Lahore ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill during a court session held at Kot Lakhpat Jail. The verdict followed detailed arguments presented a day earlier by Qureshi’s legal counsels, Rana Muddasir Umar and Barrister Taimoor Malik.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi had filed the bail plea several months ago in connection with the case. Notably, the same court recently granted bail to former Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema in the same case.
Meanwhile in Islamabad, Judicial Magistrate Shehzad Khan of the District and Sessions Court acquitted several senior PTI leaders in protest and vandalism cases linked to demonstrations held on April 26, 2024, against alleged rigging in the general elections.
Those acquitted include PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Omar Ayub, Ali Bukhari, Shoaib Shaheen, Amir Dogar, Malik Rafiq, and Amir Mughal. The protest in question originated from Shoaib Shaheen’s office and proceeded toward Karachi Company.
The court had earlier reserved its judgment after defense counsel concluded their arguments. The acquittals also covered similar charges in FIR No. 498 registered at the Karachi Company police station.
The rulings come as legal relief for PTI leadership amid ongoing trials related to political unrest and demonstrations across the country.
