Lahore ATC discharges PTI’s Yasmin Rashid from Jinnah House attack case

Lahore ATC discharges PTI’s Yasmin Rashid from Jinnah House attack case. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Yasmin Rashid, who was arrested following May 9 violent protests, has been discharged from the Jinnah House attack case.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore announced the verdict on Saturday and rejected the police request to grant her physical remand.

According to a copy of the court order, the investigating officer had requested 14-day physical remand of Dr Rashid for photogrammetry, voice match tests and recovery of mobile phones.

It added that “perusal of record” revealed that neither Dr Rashid is nominated in the first information report (FIR) nor involved through supplementary statement.

She was summoned in this case on the disclosure of co-accused which has no “evidentiary value in the eye of law”.

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“Since no incriminating material is available on record to connect her with the commission of offence, therefore, request of investigating officer is turned down and she is accordingly discharged from instant case,” the order added.

The order further said that the PTI leader be released immediately “if not required in any other case”.

She was arrested by the Lahore police on May 17, under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) following countrywide violent protests.

Subsequently, the cases against Dr Rashid were registered at Sarwar Road, Gulberg, and Shadman police stations in Lahore for her alleged involvement in the riots. The cases also included sections related to terrorism and other serious charges.

Last week, the anti-terrorism court had sent her to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.

During the nearly three-day-long violent protests across the country, PTI supporters and workers allegedly attacked and ransacked public and military installations including Jinnah House and General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

Several party leaders and lawmakers — including Shireen Mazari, Fawad Chaudhry, Mahmood Moulvi, Aftab Siddiqui, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Ali Zaidi among others — have publicly denounced the attacks on the state installations and announced their departure from the former ruling party since the May 9 vandalism.