3 months ago
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An anti-terrorism tribunal connected Saturday (March 7, 2026) sentenced 47 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and supporters to 10 years imprisonment and a PKR 5,00,000 good each successful absentia for vandalism and unit during the May 9, 2023, protest.
The countrywide protestation was launched by workers and leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) pursuing the arrest of erstwhile Prime Minister and enactment laminitis Imran Khan successful Islamabad.
A radical of protesters besides tried to tempest the General Headquarters, the spot of the service chief, successful Rawalpindi, resulting successful vandalism of the properties. The lawsuit was registered astatine the RA Bazar Police Station, Rawalpindi, soon aft the incident.
The PTI supporters were charged with arson, siege, vandalism, attacks connected police, and damaging authorities property, specifically successful transportation with attacks connected the GHQ gate, Hamza Camp, the Army Museum, and Sixth Road Metro Station.
The anti-terrorism tribunal (ATC) Rawalpindi judge, Amjad Ali Shah, issued the verdict against the 47 who had already been declared arsenic proclaimed offenders.
The tribunal recovered them blameworthy and sentenced each of them to 10 years imprisonment, on with a good of PKR 5,00,000 per convict and the confiscation of their movable and immovable properties. In the lawsuit of non-payment of the fine, the convicted accused volition beryllium required to service further imprisonment.
Among the convicted PTI leaders are Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Shahbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari, Murad Saeed, Zartaj Gul, Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Ejaz Khan Jazi, Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Usman Saeed Basra, Muhammad Ahmad Chattha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, and Rai Muhammad Murtaza, among others.
According to the court's written verdict, the convicted accused were recovered progressive successful the conspiracy down the May 9 incidents, with a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) identifying them arsenic cardinal suspects successful the readying of the convulsive protests.
The 47 individuals were tried separately nether Section 21 L of the Anti-Terrorism Act, arsenic they had been absent from tribunal proceedings and were declared proclaimed offenders.
The May 9 GHQ onslaught lawsuit is portion of a broader prosecution successful which a full of 118 accused, including PTI laminitis Mr. Khan and erstwhile Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were besides indicted, with charges formally framed against each 118 successful December 2024. Mr. Khan is presently successful Adiala Jail, facing aggregate cases that were instituted against him aft his authorities was removed successful April 2022.
