An anti -terrorism court (ATC) of Faisalabad on Monday sentenced 59 leaders and supporters of PTI to 10 years in prison and acquitted another 34 in the case of an attack against the house of the former Interior Minister, Rana Sanaullah, during the disturbances of May 9, 2023.
On May 9, 2023, the supporters of PTI, the arrest of the founder of protest of the Imran Khan party, organized violent protests throughout the country, after which thousands were arrested.
The head of the PTI legal team, Malik Khalid Shafiq, confirmed the sentences to Dawn.comadding that 16 individuals received three years in jail.
The PTI parliamentarians convicted in the cases of May 9 would face the automatic disqualification of article 63 (1) (g) of the Constitution, which prohibits the members condemned by crimes involving moral disturbances or corrupt practices.
The deadline given to ATCS to decide several cases in May had already passed earlier this month. Therefore, daily audiences were held in the case, according to Shafiq.
Judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh presided over the hearing of the case registered in the Samanabad Police on May 9, 2023.
Last week, the Kasur Crime Control Department (CCD) presented the former officer of the Faisalabad Zeeshan Khalid Randhawa Civil Line Station as a witness during the trial. The former sho was already under arrest in a case of kidnapping and murder separate from a Kasur resident.
An ATC had convened a joint research team investigating the case in July 2024 to present the charges.
Today’s convictions are the last in a series of ATC sentences, in which more than 100 leaders and PTI workers have received long prison terms.
On July 31, a Faisalabad ATC had sentenced more than 100 leaders and workers from PTI to up to 10 years in prison in relation to disturbances. Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Sartaj Gul and the head of the Sunita Ittehad, Hamid Raza Council, were among the key leaders of the opposition delivered 10 years in prison.
In one case, 60 of 67 accused were convicted, while seven were acquitted. In another case, 107 of 108 accused were sentenced to 10 years in rigorous prison, while a person received a three -year and 77 sentence were acquitted.
On July 22, a Lahore ATC had given Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Chema, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and other PTI leaders 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in a case related to vandalism in the Sherpao bridge. However, the imprisoned vice president of PTI Shah Mahmood Qureshi and five others were acquitted.
The same day, a Sargodha ATC had sentenced up to 32 defendants, including the then opposition leader of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachaha, in a case recorded at the Musakhel Police station.
More to follow
