RAWALPINDI:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday sentenced 47 people, including some key PTI leaders, to 10 years in prison and a fine of Rs 500,000 each in connection with the May 9, 2023 attacks on the General Headquarters (GHQ).
He also ordered the confiscation of the movable and immovable property of the convicts who were previously declared violators for not appearing in court despite notifications.
ATC Judge Syed Amjad Ali Shah announced the verdict and stated that the accused were involved in planning and inciting violent protests during the May 9 riots.
According to the ruling, the convicts were linked to attacks at key locations, including the Headquarters Gate, Camp Hamza, the Army Museum and the Sixth Road subway station.
Among those convicted were prominent political figures including Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Shehbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari and Sheikh Rashid Shafique, along with several others.
The court noted that the 47 defendants had been absent from the proceedings for almost two years and ten months and had previously been found guilty.
As a result, his trial was held separately under Article 21-L of the Anti-Terrorism Law of 1997, which allows fugitive defendants to be prosecuted. According to the ruling, the prosecution argued that the defendants were central figures in planning the violent demonstrations of May 9.
A report by the joint investigation team (JIT) also identified them as the key planners behind the protests that led to attacks on military installations and public property.
The case relates to the violence that broke out following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023. The FIR relating to the attack on the headquarters was registered at the RA Bazaar police station in Rawalpindi.
In total, 118 accused, including senior PTI leaders such as Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were charged in the case in December 2024.
During the proceedings, the prosecution took statements from dozens of witnesses, while a separate trial was held for the declared culprits after a judicial inquiry concluded that the defendants had deliberately avoided appearing in court.
The court also issued arrest warrants for the convicts and directed police authorities to ensure their detention. However, the ruling offers convicted fugitives the opportunity to surrender to court within 60 days.
The ATC ordered all convicts to appear before the court by May 7.
If they are delivered within the stipulated period, the sentences handed down in absentia will be automatically annulled and the case will proceed to a new substantive trial.
The court noted that such a provision ensures that defendants still have the opportunity to defend themselves during a full trial if they appear in court.
The trial related to the attack has also suffered delays in recent months, in part due to technical problems, including the video link system between the jail and the court not working for several months.
Despite the conviction of the 47 fugitives, proceedings in the broader case against other accused continue before the ATC.
