By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday granted post-arrest bail to Dr. Yasmin Rashid, the incarcerated Punjab president of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, in a case stemming from the burning of police vehicles near Mughalpura during the violent riots of May 9, 2023.
The decision by ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill came during a hearing at Kot Lakhpat jail, where Dr. Rashid has been held. It marks a partial reprieve for the PTI leader, who faces multiple charges related to the unrest that erupted after the arrest of the party’s founder, Imran Khan.
Barrister Taimur Malik, arguing on behalf of Dr. Rashid, invoked the rule of consistency, pointing to similar bail grants by courts to other accused figures, including Khan, former senator Ejaz Chaudhry and former governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema.
The judge approved the bail, subject to Dr. Rashid, former provincial health minister, furnishing surety bonds worth Rs100,000. However, the court adjourned hearings on Dr. Rashid’s bail petitions in three other cases until Nov. 25, leaving her immediate release uncertain.
In a statement after the hearing, Barrister Malik said his client should be granted bail in the remaining cases as well on the same legal principle. He added that later, if the high court accepted her suspension applications, she could be released pending the outcome of her appeals against the convictions.
Dr. Rashid, 75, a cancer survivor, has already been convicted in four other cases tied to the May 9 riots, including an attack on the Shadman police station. Separately, the same anti-terrorism court recorded the statements of 10 police personnel in a related case involving violence in the GOR-I neighbourhood during the May 9 riots.
The prosecution presented the police officials as its witnesses. A prosecutor told the court that 57 witnesses had testified in the case so far. The court summoned more prosecution witnesses for Nov. 25. The Race Course police had registered that case against PTI leaders and workers on charges of attacking the main gate of GOR-I Club Chowk and damaging property. The May 9 riots, which swept across Pakistan, were triggered by Khan’s detention on corruption charges, leading to widespread clashes between PTI supporters and security forces. The violence resulted in numerous arrests and trials under anti-terrorism laws, with the party alleging political persecution by the government.
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