May 9 riots hearing adjournedTOBA TEK SINGH: Faisalabad Anti-Terrorism Court judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh on Wednesday adjourned until Dec 11 the hearing of cases registered on May 9, 2023, against hundreds of PTI leaders and activists for their involvement in alleged attack on the house of former interior minister Rana Sanaullah and burning of a police van outside the State Bank building.

The cases were registered by Samanabad and Civil Lines police, respectively. Hundreds of accused had to appear in the court in both FIRs, including opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate Umar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, respectively.

PTI parliamentary leader in NA Zartaj Gul Wazir and PTI women wing central president Kanwal Shouzeb were also not present in the court during hearing on Wednesday.

PTI legal team head Advocate Malik Khalid Shafiq told a press briefing that he had given an application to the court that all four PTI leaders had to attend other courts so they could not reach Faisalabad. The court accepted his plea for one-time exemption from appearing in the court.

The judge delivered charge sheets to those accused who were present in the court, including MNA Rai Hassan Nawaz, MPA Rai Murtaza Iqbal and some local MPAs.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024