As per details, former Punjab Assembly deputy speaker Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi and Umar Tanvir recorded 154 statements and became witnesses against PTI founder and Sheikh Rasheed in the May 9 case. They stated that the May 9 violence was carried out on the directions of Imran Khan and AML chief Sheikh Rasheed.
The PTI-backed candidate from NA-53 Ajmal Sabir also recorded a statement in the May 9 case, revealing that Sheikh Rasheed called a meeting at his residence Lal Haveli on May 6 and planned the May 9 violence.
Earlier, Police arrested former interior minister and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed following the cancellation of bail in the May 9 riots case.
Rasheed is accused of planning vandalism and attack on a sensitive installation on May 9, following the arrest of the former prime minister.
May 9 Violence
Violent clashes were broken out across Pakistan after former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, 2023.
The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.
Army installations, including the Corps Commander’s house in Lahore, had come under attack during the protests by PTI workers.
It is pertinent to mention that the PTI founder is named as the main accused in all the May 9 riots cases.