FAISALABAD/ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad today handed down major prison sentences in the high-profile May 9 riots case, sentencing several senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to lengthy jail terms.
Among those convicted were former Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul, who were sentenced to 10 years each in prison.
Meanwhile, PTI MPA Junaid Afzal Sahi was jailed for three years.
The court acquitted Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Ahmad Kastro, citing insufficient evidence against them.
In total, the ATC convicted 108 individuals for their alleged roles in the May 9 violence, a key moment in the state’s post-riots crackdown following protests triggered by the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan in 2023.
Separately, earlier this week, another ATC announced its verdict in the Sherpao Bridge arson and siege case, acquitting senior PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Hamza Azeem, and six others due to lack of evidence.
The verdict, delivered under heavy security at Kot Lakhpat Jail, concluded that the prosecution failed to prove the accused’s direct involvement in the violence that unfolded near Sherpao Bridge on May 9.
These decisions highlight a widening legal rift within PTI ranks as multiple senior leaders face convictions, while others walk free due to prosecutorial shortcomings.
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