An anti -terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad on Thursday sentenced PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Hamid Raza and Sartaj Gul, 10 years in prison for their participation in the disturbances of May 9.
On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting the arrest of the founder of the Imran Khan party, organized violent protests throughout the country, destroying military facilities and state buildings, while attacked the residence of the commander of Lahore’s body. After the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested.
Of 185 accused PTI workers, 108 have been sentenced by the court today. The PTI member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA), Junaid Afzal Sahi, was sentenced to three years in prison. Meanwhile, the MPA Khayal Ahmad Kastro, a member of the National Assembly (MNA) Zain Qureshi, and former PTI Fawad Chaudhry leader have been acquitted in cases.
When reacting to the development, the president of the PTI, the lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, said that the party will challenge the decision in the higher courts.
In statements to the media in Islamabad today, Gohar said: “We will raise the problem with the founder of PTI Imran Khan in the future course of action about whether we should return to Parliament or launch a movement.”
He said that “political cases against PTI members had no basis,” and added that the PTI believed in administering the system instead of believing in extremism.
“We do not believe in violence or incitement in politics. Those who have been convicted today do not believe in the policy of violence.”
According to a copy of the court order, available with Dawn.com – “The Prosecutor’s Office has successfully demonstrated its case without any shadow of doubt” against 17 of the defendants, including opposition leaders and Sartaj. They were sentenced to:
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10 years in rigorous prison, fine of RS1 million According to section 109 (Incrustation punishment if the law was committed accordingly and where an express provision is not expected for punishment) Read with section 34 (acts carried out by several people in common intention) of the Pakistan Criminal Code (PPC) (PPC)
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10 years of rigorous imprisonment, RS 1M FULE According to section 120b (punishment for criminal conspiracy) Read with section 34 ppc
“Prison sentences granted to [the] The convicts mentioned by both of the crimes will be executed simultaneously and [the] The benefit of section 382B (detention period to consider when granting the prison sentence) CRPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) also extends to the convicts, if they have undergone a detention possession in this case previously, ”reads the order.
In addition, 90 defendants, designated to the “real perpetrators” of the riots in the court order, were sentenced by several positions read with section 149 (each member of the illegal assembly guilty of crime committed in the prosecution of common objects) PPC.
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Three years in rigorous prison, fine of RS100,000 Under section 148 (riots, armed with mortal weapon) PPC
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Three years in rigorous prison, fine of RS100,000 According to section 152 (assault on obstructing the public servant by suppressing disturbances) Read with section 149 ppc
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A year of rigorous imprisonment, fine of RS100,000 According to section 153 (meaningless provocation with the intention of causing riots) Read with section 149 ppc
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Six months in rigorous prison, fine of RS50,000 According to section 186 (obstructing the public servant in the discharge of public functions) Read with section 149 ppc
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Six months of rigorous imprisonment According to section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by the public servant) PPC
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Six months in rigorous prison, fine of RS50,000 According to section 291 (continuation of the annoyance after the court order to discontinue) Read with section 149 ppc
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10 years of rigorous imprisonment, RS1M fine Under section 324 (murder attempt) Read with section 149 ppc
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Two years in rigorous prison in six positions, RS50,000 for each injured According to section 337a (assault) Read with section 149 ppc
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A year of rigorous imprisonment, RS20,000 to one injured Under section 337f
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Two years in rigorous prison in 12 positions, RS50,000 for each injured Under section 337l (punishment for another damage) Read with section 149 ppc
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A year of rigorous imprisonment, fine of RS100,000 According to section 341 (punishment for unfair restriction) Read with section 149 ppc
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Two years of rigorous imprisonment, fine of RS100,000 According to section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter the public server of their duty) read with section 149 ppc
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10 years of rigorous imprisonment, RS1M fine Under section 436 (Travesura by fire or explosive substance with the intention of destroying the house, etc.) Reading with section 149 ppc
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Five years of rigorous imprisonment, fine of 500,000 rupees under section 440 (pranks committed after the preparation made to cause death or injury) Read with 149 ppc
In addition, the 90 defendants were sentenced under several sections of the 1997 Anti -Terrorism Law (ATA).
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10 years of rigorous imprisonment, RS1M fine According to section 7 (punishment for terrorism acts) of the ATA read with section 149 ppc
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10 years of rigorous imprisonment, RS1M fine According to section 7 (1) h (the act of terrorism committed falls under the clauses (h) to (n) of subsection (2) of section 6, it will be punishable, in conviction, to the imprisonment of not less than five years, but it can be extended to the prison of life and with the fine) with section 149 PPC PPC PPC
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LOST PROPERTY TO THE GOVERNMENT According to Section 7 (2) (a defendant, convicted of a crime under this law, will be punishable with the imprisonment of 10 years or more, including kidnapping crimes for rescue and kidnapping must also be subject to the loss of property)
Meanwhile, the member of the Assembly PTI Punjab, Junaid Afzal Sahi, was sentenced to:
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Three years in rigorous prison, fine of RS100,000 Under section 148 ppc
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A year of rigorous imprisonment, fine of RS100,000 Under section 341 (punishment for unfair confinement) Read with section 149 ppc
According to the order, the 108 convicts will receive copies of the order and may present an appeal within 15 days. In addition, arrest orders have been issued for those convicted in absence, including Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub, Rai Murtaza Iqbal and Sartaj Gul Wazir.
Meanwhile, 77 accused were acquitted because the prosecution “miserably could not prove the alleged crime.”
In an X publication, the PTI condemned the sentences in the strongest terms and described the “false, politically manufactured and motivated” cases, adding that opposition leaders in both cameras were sentenced to avoid the mass mobilization of the party on August 5.
“Through this decision, six of the members of our National Assembly, three members of the Punjab Assembly and a senator have been sentenced,” the party said. “This decision is not only a clear violation of the Constitution and the law, but also another dark spot in the face of justice.
“The continuous transformation of the Judiciary into a rubber stamp at the request of the state system, to issue such verdicts of one after another under political pressure without transparent judgments, evidence, interrogation of witnesses or the right to defense, is a dangerous tendency that is completely undercover the credibility of the judicial system,” added the statement.
The PTI added that this is the “first time”, opposition leaders in both Chambers of Parliament have been sentenced “based solely on their loyalty to the political narrative, public representation and constitutional struggle of Imran Khan.”
“The true purpose of these decisions is not to deliver legal justice, but to make a concerted effort to avoid the public protest scheduled for August 5, which was announced by Imran Khan himself,” said the party.
“Today’s prayers and orders issued against several other leaders this morning are links in the fear chain that the state system houses towards the Pacific Movement of Imran Khan.”
In addition, the party described the prayers “part of a systematic plan aimed at suppressing public awakening and political consciousness that emerge under the leadership of Imran Khan.”
However, the PTI wrote that these prayers only lit their resolution, before the protests scheduled for August 5.
“Imran Khan’s vision lives in our hearts, and our loyalty towards her remains unwavering. Our leaders and workers are ready for each sacrifice, because we believe that only those nations survive the darkness of the oppression that resist,” reads the statement.
The Pakistan Human Commission deplored the massive sentence.
“While those involved in violence must be responsible, the use of anti -terrorist laws to prove civilians raises serious concerns of due processing and is symptomatic of continuous erosion of democratic values. We reiterate that all accused must receive fair and transparent judgments in civil courts and urge the State to refrain from using draconian laws to stop the political discussion.”
In May, an ATC in Islamabad sentenced PTI members, including MNA Abdul Latif, 27 years in prison for attacking a police station during the disturbances of May 9.
In December 2024, the military courts had sentenced 85 civilians to prison terms that went from two to 10 years for their participation in violent attacks in military facilities during the disturbances of May 9.
Additional Imran Gabol reports.
