Karachi Police apprehends alleged 'May 9 rioter' involved in bus arson
Nov 28, 2023
Karachi [Pakistan], November 28 : Karachi police on Tuesday announced the arrest of an individual suspected of setting a bus on fire during the May 9 riots in the city, which ensued following the arrest of the Paksitan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman in the Al-Qadir Trust case, ARY News reported.
The apprehended suspect, identified as Zeeshan, was taken into custody by District East Police during an operation near Shahrai-e-Faisal. Zeeshan faces charges related to terrorism and involvement in the May 9 riots.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East, Irfan Bahadur, stated that Zeeshan played a role in the vandalism and arson of the Peoples Bus during the May 9 unrest. The police possess evidence against Zeeshan, indicating his direct involvement in setting the bus on fire, as he allegedly filmed the act, according to ARY News.
Joint investigation teams formed to investigate the violence after Imran Khan's arrest in relation to a graft case in May declared more than 900 activists, including the former prime minister and other party bigwigs, prime suspects in a dozen cases and submitted challans (charge sheets) to this effect in an anti-terrorism court on Thursday, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.
According to Lahore police, Imran Khan and more than 900 other party leaders and activists nominated in the May 9 cases have been "declared guilty of serious offences," Dawn reported.
DIG Operations Imran Kishwar said, "We have declared them prime accused in 12 out of the total 14 cases registered under the anti-terrorism act and other charges at Lahore's various police stations... [and] challans have been submitted to the ATC.
"Notably, violent clashes erupted across Pakistan after the former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 9.
The protests were held in the remote and major cities of Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad. During the protests, army installations and the Corps Commander's House in Lahore were also attacked.
