May 9 mayhem: PTI's Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz and Zartaj Gul among others sentenced to 10 years in jail

Faisalabad (Web Desk): An anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad on Thursday delivered its long-awaited judgment in connection with the violent events that took place on May 9, issuing prison sentences to a number of senior figures from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Several prominent PTI leaders — including Omar Ayub Khan, Senator Shibli Faraz, and former minister Zartaj Gul — were handed 10 year each.

Among those convicted also included Sahibzada Hamid Raza, a former Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) , who received a 10-year jail term.

However, the court acquitted former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, as well as PTI members Zain Qureshi and Khayal Ahmad Kastro, declaring them not guilty of the charges leveled against them after reviewing the evidence.

Meanwhile, PTI’s Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Junaid Afzal Sahi was sentenced to a comparatively lighter prison term of three years.

The court's ruling extended to a total of 108 individuals, all of whom were tried in relation to the same case.

This decision marks a pivotal moment in the state's legal response to the political turmoil and violence that erupted last year, as part of a broader and ongoing crackdown following the May 9 incidents.

Earlier today, an anti-terrorism court issued arrest warrants for former President Dr. Arif Alvi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, and several other senior members of the PTI in relation to a protest that took place in Islamabad on November 26, 2023. These warrants, issued under FIR No. 1193 registered at the Karachi Company police station, are part of a broader legal action targeting top PTI leadership.

During proceedings on Thursday, ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain authorized 41 new arrest warrants, adding to nine previously issued, bringing the total to 50.

The individuals named are accused of instigating and taking part in violent demonstrations that disrupted public order in the capital.

The court, citing repeated absences from scheduled hearings, instructed law enforcement to apprehend and present all the accused before the bench without further delay.

Among the prominent figures included in the list are Shibli Faraz, who previously served as an advisor to the Prime Minister, Senators Azam Swati and Faisal Javed, PTI’s central spokesperson Rauf Hassan, senior lawyers Salman Akram Raja and Shoaib Shaheen, and ex-parliamentarians such as Asad Qaiser, Atif Khan, Aleema Khan, Murad Saeed, and Sheikh Waqas Akram.