Mehmood Rashid sentenced to 33 years in prison in 9 May cases

LAHORE: The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court on May 9 issued a detailed written verdict in two cases of arson and burning of vehicles in the Gulberg area.

The court also ordered the acquittal of 23 accused in the two cases of May 9 as they were not found guilty, while 7 accused, including PTI leaders, were sentenced to imprisonment after being found guilty.

The court sentenced PTI senior leader Mian Mehmood Rashid to a total of 33 years in prison and a fine of Rs 600,000. The court ruled that Mian Mehmood Rashid was given separate sentences under different sections.

The verdict said that the presence of Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry and Omar Sarfaraz Cheema in the conspiracy meeting proves that according to the prosecution, four leaders including Dr. Yasmin Rashid spread chaos among the people for the arson and encirclement.

The written judgment stated that the prosecution presented various WhatsApp messages and details of 70 social media accounts in the court, while forensic reports against the accused were also presented in the courtroom.

According to the court, the JIT investigation team found the accused guilty and the accused did not challenge the JIT report in any forum. The judgment also said that the accused declared themselves innocent in their final statements, however, the court awarded the sentences based on the evidence.