ATC grants bail to Shah Mahmood Qureshi in May 9 case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Saturday granted post-arrest bail to senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a case linked to the May 9 unrest, arson and the besieging of public property.

Judge Manzar Ali Gul, who had reserved the ruling after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defense, announced the order.

The case, filed at Shadman police station, accused the former foreign minister of provoking violence and engaging in attacks on state infrastructure after the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan.

Qureshi’s lawyer argued that the case was politically motivated and lacked concrete evidence to link his client to the alleged crime. The prosecution, however, claimed Qureshi had played a role in inciting violence through speeches and instructions to supporters.

After going through the case record and hearing both sides, the court approved Qureshi’s bail plea.

In a separate development, a court in Islamabad acquitted PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Omar Ayub, Ali Nawaz Awan, and Shoaib Shaheen in another case related to the May 9 violence, registered at the Karachi Company police station.

The court observed that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to directly link the accused to the alleged offenses.

The May 9 incidents, which followed the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, triggered widespread turmoil and led to numerous cases against PTI leaders under charges of terrorism and public disorder. Many of those cases remain ongoing in various courts.