Islamabad (Web Desk): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday disqualified lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from holding public office following their recent convictions in terrorism cases related to May 9 riots.
The ECP issuing the official notifications, removed Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Muhammad Ahmad Chattha, and Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar from their positions after they were handed down 10-year prison sentences.
The disqualification of Senator Chaudhry was triggered by a verdict from an anti-terrorism court, which found him guilty of charges linked to violent unrest. According to the ECP, his conviction under anti-terror laws renders him ineligible to continue serving under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution. The Commission’s statement confirmed that the court had sentenced Chaudhry to a decade behind bars, making his removal from the Senate mandatory.
Similarly, MNA Chattha and MPA Bhachar were also stripped of their legislative roles. Chattha, who represented NA-66 in Wazirabad, and Bhachar, elected from PP-87 Mianwali, were both convicted on comparable charges.
Their cases were heard in separate anti-terrorism courts, with the Sargodha bench sentencing Bhachar and several PTI activists to 10 years for their alleged involvement in violent acts during the May 9 protests.
Meanwhile, the anti-terrorism court in Lahore delivered mixed outcomes in a separate case tied to the same wave of unrest. While it acquitted several high-profile PTI figures—including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Hamza Azeem—citing a lack of sufficient evidence, the court found ten others guilty. Among them was Dr. Yasmin Rashid, who was sentenced to 10 years for incitement and destruction of public property during the May 9 incident near Sherpao Bridge.
The May 9 violence erupted nationwide in response to the arrest of former premier and PTI founder Imran Khan.
Demonstrations rapidly escalated into violence, with mobs attacking government buildings and military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and the historic Jinnah House in Lahore.
The military branded the events a "Black Day" and vowed strict legal action, opting to prosecute many accused under the Army Act.
Following the unrest, dozens of PTI supporters were apprehended and charged in both civilian and military courts.
In December 2024, a military tribunal sentenced 25 individuals, including Imran Khan’s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi. Another 60 were sentenced in a subsequent round. Although a limited number of those convicted—19 in total—were later granted pardons after submitting mercy appeals, PTI leadership criticized the process as selective and insufficient.
Military trials had been temporarily paused after a Supreme Court (SC) decision challenged the legal basis of such proceedings. However, the court later instructed that unresolved cases be expedited and verdicts issued, leading to the resumption of military-led prosecutions.
These legal setbacks present further challenges for PTI, which continues to face mounting pressure from both the judiciary and military establishment amid its broader struggle to remain politically relevant.