PTI to challenge convictions in higher courts, says Barrister Gohar 

Islamabad (Web Desk): In a strong statement to the press, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan denounced the recent sentencing of several party leaders, labeling it as a bleak chapter in Pakistan’s democratic history.

Speaking to the media, he alleged that the government is resorting to politically motivated cases to sideline PTI and suppress its role in the democratic process.

Gohar highlighted that senior PTI members, including those affiliated with the Sunni Ittehad Council, were handed down harsh sentences in Faisalabad without legitimate cause.

He defended the convicted individuals, describing them as law-abiding citizens who have always shown respect for democratic principles and parliamentary procedures.

The PTI chairman underscored the party’s consistent commitment to working within the bounds of the Constitution and its unwavering support for the parliamentary system. Despite this, he said, PTI leaders continue to be imprisoned under what he termed baseless charges. He urged the judiciary to uphold justice and shared that the issue had already been brought to the attention of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

Gohar further clarified that PTI has never endorsed violence or chaos. He reiterated that the party, following the vision of its founder, has consistently sought political solutions through peaceful engagement, even in the aftermath of what he described as a stolen electoral mandate.

The PTI chief warned that continued political victimization could erode public faith in the judiciary and lead to a serious systemic breakdown. 

He announced that PTI would be challenging the latest judicial verdicts in the superior courts and hinted that the party was reassessing its position within the existing political framework, with a new course of action to be revealed soon.

Earlier, in a significant legal development, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad convicted a total of 167 people, including prominent PTI figures, in two separate cases tied to the events of May 9.

Among those sentenced to 10 years in prison are Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, Member of National Assembly Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and former minister Zartaj Gul.

The court’s ruling in the case involving an attack on a sensitive security facility found 108 of the 185 accused guilty, while 77 were acquitted for lack of evidence. In a separate case registered at Ghulam Muhammad Abad Police Station, 58 out of 66 individuals were convicted and received 10-year prison terms, with one individual, Junaid Afzal Sahi, receiving a shorter sentence of three years. Eight were acquitted in that proceeding.

Meanwhile, PTI figures, including Fawad Chaudhry, Khayal Kastro, and Zain Qureshi—the son of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi—were acquitted by the same court.

These developments follow a string of similar rulings in which other PTI leaders such as Ahmed Chattha, Ahmed Khan Bhachar, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, and Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed were sentenced to a decade in prison for their alleged roles in the violent protests.

The convictions mark a significant turning point in Pakistan’s legal and political narrative, reflecting the state's uncompromising stance on the May 9 riots, which led to widespread destruction of military and public property.

PTI maintains that these actions are part of a broader campaign to dismantle the party’s political standing and marginalize its leadership through legal means.