An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad on Thursday sentenced several PTI leaders to 10 years in jail.
The leaders include Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Hamid Raza, and Zartaj Gul. The sentence was given for their alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023, riots.
On that day, PTI supporters protested the arrest of party founder Imran Khan. Protests quickly turned violent across the country.
Protesters attacked military buildings, damaged public property, and stormed the Lahore corps commander’s house. Thousands of party workers and leaders were arrested afterward.
According to court officials, out of 185 PTI workers on trial, 108 have been sentenced. The rest await decisions in their respective cases.
PTI’s MPA Junaid Afzal Sahi received a three-year jail term in the same case.
However, some leaders were acquitted, including MPA Khayal Ahmad Kastro, MNA Zain Qureshi, and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry.
The court ruling has drawn criticism from the PTI. Party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the decision would be challenged in higher courts.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Gohar said PTI would consult Imran Khan to decide on future action. He hinted at either returning to parliament or launching a public movement.
He termed the cases against PTI members as “baseless” and said the party rejects violence in politics. “We believe in the system, not extremism,” he added.
The PTI also released a statement on X (formerly Twitter). The party called the verdict part of a “false flag operation” to target its leadership unfairly.
Earlier this year, in May, an ATC in Islamabad had sentenced PTI MNA Abdul Latif and others to 27 years for attacking a police station during the same unrest.
In December 2024, military courts had also sentenced 85 civilians to prison for attacks on military facilities during the May 9 violence.
Related News: Barrister Gohar Terms PTI Leaders’ Sentencing a Dark Day for Democracy. Read how PTI plans its next steps after these major court decisions.
