Court approves Qureshi's 9-day physical remand in May 9 cases

• ATC orders to interrogate Qureshi through video link.
• Suspect released videos on social media, court says.
• Investigation report should be submitted on June 5.

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday approved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi's physical remand for nine days in eight cases pertaining to the May 9 riots.

Judge Khalid Arshad of the ATC in Lahore announced a reserved verdict wherein the court ordered that the investigation report after's Qureshi's interrogation be submitted on June 5.

The court in its decision has ordered to interrogate the PTI leader through video link.

The court further remarked that according to the investigating officer, the suspect released videos and messages on social media. All the material uploaded by Qureshi on social media had been sent to the forensic lab, it maintained.

Qureshi is currently imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail in multiple cases. In addition to this, a special court established under the Official Secrets Act had handed Qureshi 10 years in jail in the cipher case.

The police on May 26 implicated the PTI leader in eight more cases in connection with the attacks carried out on May 9, 2023.

The May 9 riots were triggered almost across the country after deposed prime minister Imran Khan's arrest in the £190 million settlement case. 

Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations last year.

During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.

Several party bigwigs and senior members parted ways with PTI and Khan in the light of crackdown against those involved in May 9 events.