Four more years for Imran’s attacker in illegal weapons case

A Wazirabad court has awarded an additional four-year sentence to Muhammad Naveed, who is already serving two life sentences for the attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan in an illegal arms possession case.

Judicial Magistrate Fazl Elahi found the convict guilty under the Punjab Arms (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015. After reviewing the evidence in case/FIR No. 742/2022, the magistrate sentenced Naveed to four years simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 40,000.

The court has ordered that the sentence run concurrently with any other sentence the convict is serving.

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According to an order issued by the court on February 2, the superintendent of Gujranwala Central Jail has been authorized to detain Naveed to carry out the four-year sentence.

The sentence relates to an incident that occurred on November 3, 2022, when Naveed attempted to assassinate Imran during the PTI’s long march in Wazirabad by opening fire on the rally. The former prime minister was shot in the shin and left injured. Senator Faisal Javed and several others were also injured, while a party worker was killed.

Following the attack, Imran accused the then Pakistan Democratic Movement government and certain officials of being involved in the incident.

Police arrested Naveed on the spot. The FIR was formally registered at the city police station on November 7 and a joint investigation team was formed under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.

In April 2025, Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Muhammad Naeem Saleem sentenced Naveed to two life sentences under Section 302(b) of the Pakistan Penal Code, which refers to premeditated murder, and Section 7(a) of the ATA, which refers to acts of terrorism.

Two co-accused, Tayyab Jahangir Butt and Waqas, were acquitted after being given the benefit of the doubt.