May 9 riots: Court sentences Omar Ayub, Shibli, Zartaj to 10 years imprisonment

Announcing verdict in three different cases related to the May 9 riots, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad on Thursday sentenced over 100 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and supporters inlcuding Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub, Leader of Opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz, MNA Zartaj Gul, Aaj News reported.

The court has announced its verdict in cases filed against 185 workers and leaders of the former ruling party. According to the judgement, 58 accused including the central leadership have been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment over terrorism charges, while 77 suspects, including some leaders, have been acquitted.

MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Ayub, Gul and Faraz have been sentenced to 10 years in prison each and MPA Junaid Akbar Sahi has been sentenced to three years imprisonment. Whereas, the ATC has vindicated former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, Khayal Ahmad Kastro and son of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Zain Qureshi, in the case pertaining to attack on Ghulam Muhammadabad police station.

May 9 riots: Punjab Assembly opposition leader, PTI MNA sentenced to jail

The court stated in its ruling that the evidence against these three leaders was insufficient, leading to their acquittal based on the benefit of doubt.

In this particular case, 60 accused were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each, while seven were acquitted.

PTI decides to challenge court verdict

Meanwhile, the PTI has decided to challenge the court ruling in the high court. Reacting to the judgement, PTI Chairman Gohar Khan said those who had been penalised always believed in peaceful struggle.

Addressing the media persons, he said all the cases were politically motivated.

“People are losing hope in the judiciary. We still have time to protect the system but if it continued like this then it would become difficult,” he warned.

The fresh court judgement adds to the embattled PTI’s legal and political woes that started following the May 9 violent incidents during which military installations including Rawalpindi’s General Headquarters (GHQ) were vandalised by the party supporters upon former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest in a case on May 9, 2023.

Leaders and supporters of embattled PTI have been facing different charges in numerous cases related to the May 9, since the violent protests and clashes broke out across Pakistan.

The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.

Earlier, an ATC in Lahore on Tuesday acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi and five other accused in a case pertaining to the violent protests and arson attacks on May 9, 2023. However, the court sentenced PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed to 10 years in prison.