Lahore (Web Desk): An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday handed down 10-year prison sentences to several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in connection with the violent unrest that unfolded on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of the party's founder and former prime minister, Imran Khan.
Among those convicted were Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed, former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, and Afzal Azeem Pahat. The decision, previously reserved by the court, was announced earlier today.
In contrast, the court acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, along with Hamza Azeem Pahat, Rana Tanveer, and Aizaz Rafiq, citing insufficient evidence.
In a related development, an anti-terrorism court in Sargodha sentenced Punjab Assembly opposition leader Ahmed Khan Bachar, Member of the National Assembly Mohammad Ahmed Chattha, and several other PTI activists to identical 10-year terms for their roles in the same wave of riots.
Reacting to the decision, Bhachar declared his intention to appeal to a higher court, asserting that the verdict was politically charged and deviated from constitutional norms.
He criticized the legal process, alleging it was manipulated and lacked procedural integrity.
According to him, the ruling was less about justice and more about suppressing political dissent, especially after the 26th Amendment, which he claims has allowed the executive to exert influence over the judiciary.
The convictions stem from a case registered in Mianwali concerning acts of vandalism and rioting that erupted after Imran Khan was taken into custody on corruption allegations.
The episode led to widespread demonstrations, some of which turned violent, targeting public property and military sites such as Lahore’s Corps Commander House, also known as Jinnah House.
These legal outcomes follow the Lahore High Court’s recent rejection of Imran Khan’s bail applications in eight separate cases related to the same incidents, including the attack on Jinnah House.
The former prime minister has been incarcerated since August 2023 and continues to face numerous legal challenges involving both corruption and terrorism-related charges.
These court rulings represent yet another setback for PTI as it pushes ahead with a nationwide anti-government campaign that party insiders say will reach its climax by August 5, a timeline set by Khan from behind bars.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan sharply criticized the recent verdicts, accusing the judiciary of falling short of its responsibilities and asserting that the trials lacked fairness.
He argued that public confidence in the courts has eroded and claimed that the same two witnesses have been used repeatedly in different cases tied to the May 9 events.
Gohar questioned the legality of trying the same case across multiple jurisdictions and said the convicted lawmakers, including the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, were being unfairly targeted.
PTI’s Salman Akram Raja described the court decisions not just as punitive measures against PTI but as broader assaults on democratic norms. He raised concerns about the reliability of witness testimonies and patterns of repeated allegations by the same individuals across multiple trials.
On the other hand Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik rejected the PTI’s claims of political persecution, stating that all legal protocols were observed and evidence was fully presented.
He accused PTI leaders of boycotting court proceedings and dismissing any outcome that didn’t favor them, regardless of legality. Malik insisted that the court’s decisions were rooted firmly in constitutional law and that justice had been served.
The May 9 disturbances, which followed the high-profile arrest of Imran Khan, saw widespread protests by PTI supporters. Demonstrators targeted both civil and military facilities, including attacks on Jinnah House in Lahore and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. The military, describing the day as a national tragedy, pushed for severe consequences, leading to many protesters being tried in military courts under the Army Act.
Since then, dozens of PTI members have faced prosecution in both civilian and military courts. In December, 25 individuals, including Imran Khan’s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi, were convicted in military proceedings. Another 60 people were sentenced in similar cases. While 19 of those convictions were later overturned after successful mercy appeals in January, the party remained dissatisfied, arguing that clemency had been granted too sparingly.
Although the Supreme Court had initially paused the military court trials, it later directed that pending cases be concluded. As a result, the judiciary resumed issuing verdicts for those implicated in the May 9 violence.