ISLAMABAD: Senior PTI leader and former Punjab minister Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed filed a petition with the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Wednesday seeking to challenge his 10-year prison sentence handed down following his involvement in the May 9, 2023, violence.
The petition, submitted through counsel Advocate Sikandar Zulqarnain Saleem, requests permission to appeal against the Lahore High Court’s April 28, 2026, ruling that dismissed his application for sentence suspension and release on bail pending a pending appeal.
Rasheed was convicted by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on August 11, 2025, for his role in an attack on Shadman Police Station. The court sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 7(1)(h) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), an additional 10 years under Section 21-I of the ATA, and 10 years under Section 120-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for criminal conspiracy.
Mehmoodur Rasheed requests suspension of sentence and bail pending LHC appeal
The petition asserts that the Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench failed to address significant contradictions in the prosecution’s case, highlighting that no witness testified to Rasheed instigating the violence. It further argues that the trial court itself disbelieved the alleged weapon recovery from him and acquitted him of charges under Sections 324 and 353 of the PPC.
According to the petition, 13 co-accused were acquitted on the same evidence used to convict Rasheed. It also contends that reliance on social media clips and press reports, which were never formally introduced as evidence, violated principles of natural justice.
The petition emphasizes that prosecution witnesses alleging knowledge of the conspiracy admitted during cross-examination that they did not know Imran Khan’s residence address. This, it argues, undermines their credibility regarding their alleged presence at the conspiracy meeting.
It further contends the LHC order contradicts established criminal law principles, noting the high court disregarded precedents requiring evidence to be formally produced and subject to cross-examination before conviction.
The petition argues insufficient evidence exists to establish Rasheed’s role in instigating violence or acting on the alleged conspiracy, rendering the sentence unsustainable under legal standards. It highlights the trial court’s rejection of the prosecution’s claims regarding his presence at the incident scene, leading to acquittals on multiple charges under the PPC.
The petition concludes that convicting Rasheed based on unverified conspiracy witnesses violates fundamental legal principles and requests either setting aside or suspending the sentence.
Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2026
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