May 9 riots: PTI leaders among 47 sentenced to 10 years in prison in GHQ attack

Rawalpindi (Web Desk): An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Saturday delivered a significant verdict in the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case, sentencing 47 accused individuals, including several senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to 10 years in prison after finding them guilty of the charges.

Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Amjad Ali Shah announced the reserved verdict after the conclusion of the trial proceedings.

The court ordered 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for each of the 47 convicts and imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on every individual.

In addition to the prison terms and financial penalties, the court also directed authorities to confiscate both the movable and immovable properties of all those convicted.

According to the court’s ruling, several prominent political figures are among those sentenced, including Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Hammad Azhar, Zartaj Gul, Kanwal Shauzab, Shehbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari, Ahmad Chattha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Muhammad Murtaza, Shaukat Ali, Usman Saeed Basra and Ejaz Khan.

The verdict was issued in connection with a case registered over the attack on the GHQ, acts of vandalism and damage caused to state property.

After examining the evidence and statements presented during the proceedings, the court concluded that the accused were guilty and handed down the sentences accordingly.

On May 9, 2023, massive crowds of PTI founder and former premier Imran Khan’s supporters erupted into violent demonstrations, storming public buildings and key military locations, including the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore.

The unrest followed Khan’s arrest from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over a corruption case. Protesters targeted both civil and military installations including General the Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi coming under attack.