Court-imposed prison sentences of 10 years each for Omar Ayub, Shibli, and Zartaj following the May 9 riots
Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court Sentences PTI Leaders Over May 9 Riots, Acquits Others
In a significant legal development, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Pakistan has sentenced over 100 leaders and members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to prison terms for their involvement in the May 9, 2023, riots.
The court convicted a total of 108 individuals, with 58 defendants, including senior leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, receiving 10-year sentences. Other sentences ranged from one to three years. Notably, former PTI leaders Hamza Azim, Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Kastro were among those acquitted.
Senior leaders Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Chaudhry Bilal Ijaz, Kanwal Shauzab, and others were specifically sentenced to 10 years. PTI MPA Junaid Afzal Sahi was sentenced to three years. Sheikh Rashid Shafiq and SIC head Sahibzada Hamid Raza also received 10-year terms.
The court found these leaders guilty of rioting, damaging military installations, government property, injuring law enforcement personnel, and committing arson during nationwide protests sparked by Imran Khan's brief arrest. Khan has denied involvement, claiming political motivation behind the cases, which the government attributes to a military-backed crackdown on PTI.
The trial was described by government officials as fair, involving detailed cross-examinations and evidence presentation. Authorities stated that the May 9 riots caused billions of rupees in damages with over 3,000 arrests reported in Punjab alone.
In this particular case, 60 accused were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each, while seven were acquitted. The court stated that the evidence against three leaders (Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul) was insufficient, leading to their acquittal based on the benefit of doubt.
The PTI has decided to challenge the court ruling in the high court. Earlier, an ATC in Lahore acquitted PTI senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi and five other accused in a case related to the May 9 violent protests and arson attacks.
This verdict represents a significant legal crackdown on PTI leadership after the violent protests associated with the May 9 riots. PTI Chairman Gohar Khan stated that those penalized always believed in peaceful struggle. Khan warned that the judiciary's continued actions could lead to a loss of hope and difficulty in protecting the system.
Protests occurred in remote and major cities, with the armed forces being summoned in Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad to ensure law and order. Military installations, including Rawalpindi's General Headquarters, were vandalized by PTI supporters upon former prime minister Imran Khan's arrest on May 9, 2023.
The fresh court judgement adds to the embattled PTI's legal and political woes, starting from the May 9 violent incidents.
- The Anti-Terrorism Court in Pakistan sentenced PTI leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz to 10-year prison terms, but acquitted former leaders Hamza Azim, Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Kastro, in a case related to their involvement in the May 9 riots.
- The court judgement, part of a larger legal and political controversy surrounding the PTI party, found these leaders guilty of rioting, damaging general-news such as military installations and government property, and committing crime-and-justice such as injuring law enforcement personnel and arson.
