Pakistan court sentences four leaders of Imran Khan’s party to 10-year jail, former FM Qureshi acquitted

A Pakistan tribunal connected Saturday (June 20, 2026) sentenced 4 elder leaders of jailed former premier Imran Khan’s enactment to 10-year imprisonment successful a lawsuit related to the 2023 riots, portion it acquitted erstwhile Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Violent protests erupted crossed the state connected May 9, 2023, chiefly successful Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, pursuing the apprehension of erstwhile cricketer-turned-politician Khan. The protesters vandalised dozens of subject installations and state-owned buildings.

Former Punjab politician Omar Sarfraz Cheema, erstwhile Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid, erstwhile Punjab Minister Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, and erstwhile Senator Ejaz Chaudhry were convicted for their relation successful attacking and burning constabulary vehicles successful Mughalpura country of Lahore.

The verdict, which was reserved connected Thursday (June 19), was pronounced by Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Manzer Ali Gill. The convicts person been lodged successful Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2023 and person earlier been sentenced successful different cases related to the riots.

The ATC acquitted Qureshi and 11 different PTI workers owed to a deficiency of grounds against them. Qureshi has besides been successful jailhouse since 2023 successful aggregate different cases.

Khan, 73, has been successful Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since August 2023 successful aggregate cases. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) categorically rejected the ATC’s verdict, calling it a "fake case".

The party, successful a connection connected Saturday (June 20), said the judgement raises “profound concerns astir owed process, judicial fairness and the integrity of the proceedings”.

“Several individuals implicated successful May 9-related cases were demonstrably not adjacent contiguous successful Pakistan astatine the clip of the alleged incidents,” the PTI said.

“Such glaring inconsistencies formed superior uncertainty connected the credibility of the broader ineligible process surrounding these cases," the connection added.

The enactment further said the accused were denied the guarantees of a “free and just trial”, with proceedings taking spot successful an situation marked by “political pressure, restricted access, prolonged detentions and repeated violations of cardinal ineligible rights”.

"The result appears little an workout of justness and much a continuation of a systematic run to punish governmental opponents done the courts,” the enactment claimed.

The enactment said it volition situation the verdict done disposable ineligible and law avenues.