GILGIT:
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Gilgit on Tuesday sentenced former Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Minister and PTI Regional Chairman Khalid Khurshid to 34 years in prison for threatening state security institutions and evading legal proceedings.
The court, headed by Justice Rehmat Shah, found Khurshid guilty of threatening security institutions, including the chief secretary and chief election commissioner, during a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rally on July 26 at Ittehad Chowk. , Gilgit.
In addition to the prison sentence, he received a fine of 600,000 rupees.
Following the incident, a case was registered against Khurshid at Gilgit City Police Station. While the ATC proceedings against him continued, Khurshid went into hiding.
Despite his absence, a lawyer represented him during the trial.
After concluding the hearings, Justice Rehmat Shah announced the verdict and ordered the inspector general of police to arrest Khurshid and ensure his transfer to prison.
The court also ordered the director general of NADRA to block Khurshid’s national identity card.
In early July 2023, he was disqualified by the GB Chief Court for allegedly obtaining a solicitor’s license from the GB Bar Council using a false degree.
A month later, police filed a separate case against him for possessing a fake law degree.
Khurshid managed to get protective bail in September 2023 from the Peshawar High Court in cases registered against him across the country. However, his current conviction marks a significant setback for the embattled political leader.
