Prominent PTI Leaders Among 47 Convicted in May 9 Case

News Desk

Rawalpindi:  The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Rawalpindi on Saturday handed down a 10-year prison sentence to 47 individuals, including prominent figures, convicted in the May 9 GHQ attack case, along with a fine of Rs 5.5 lakh each.

The accused include prominent figures such as Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Shibli Faraz, Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed, Kanwal Shozab, and Zulfi Bukhari among others.

Judge Amjad Ali Shah ruled that the convicted individuals were involved in the planning and execution of violent protests on May 9, including attacks on the GHQ gate, Hamza Camp, and the Army Museum. The court also ordered the seizure of the convicted individuals’ properties.

According to the verdict, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had identified the accused as central figures in orchestrating the May 9 incidents. 

The court confirmed that the accused had committed arson, vandalism, assaults on police, and damage to government property.

A total of 118 individuals, including the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, were indicted in December 2024. 

During the trial, statements from 44 prosecution witnesses were recorded. Of the 118 accused, 18 were continuously absent, while 29 never appeared in court after the case was registered.

A separate trial was conducted under the Anti-Terrorism Act for the 47 absconding accused. Despite court orders and public advertisements urging them to surrender within seven days, none appeared. The court appointed state counsel to represent the declared accused and completed the trial following cross-examination of 19 prosecution witnesses.

The verdict marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings related to the May 9 incidents, underlining the judiciary’s strict stance against violence targeting state institutions.