Court finds violators guilty in absentia, orders fine of Rs 500,000 and confiscation of property
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters throw stones after police fired tear gas to disperse them in Lahore on May 9, 2023. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
RAWALPINDI:
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Saturday delivered a verdict in the May 9 General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case, sentencing 47 proclaimed criminals, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) figures, to 10 years in prison each, along with a fine of Rs 500,000 per convict and confiscation of their movable and immovable properties.
In case of non-payment of the fine, the convicted accused will have to serve an additional prison sentence.
The verdict was announced by ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah, with special prosecutor Zaheer Shah prosecuting the case on behalf of the State.
Among the convicted PTI figures are Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Shahbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari, Murad Saeed, Zartaj Gul, Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Ejaz Khan Jazi, Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Usman Saeed Basra, Muhammad Ahmad Chattha, Rai Hassan Nawaz and Rai Muhammad Murtaza, among others.
According to the court’s written verdict, the convicted defendants were found to be involved in the conspiracy behind the May 9 incidents, and a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) identified them as key suspects in planning the violent protests.
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They are charged with arson, siege, vandalism, attacks on police and damage to government property, specifically in relation to the attacks on the headquarters gate, Camp Hamza, the Army Museum and the Sixth Road subway station. The case is registered at RA Bazaar police station.
The 47 people were tried separately under section 21L of the Anti-Terrorism Law, as they had been absent from court proceedings for two years and had already been found guilty. Of the 47, 18 remained continuously absent throughout the trial, while 29 never appeared in court after registration of the case.
The proceedings against them began after the prosecution filed an application on January 6 under Article 19/10. A subsequent judicial inquiry formally declared that the 47 had deliberately absconded, after which the court ordered the publication of notices in newspapers on January 8, giving the accused seven days to surrender.
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Despite court orders and published notices, none of the defendants appeared. The court then appointed a state attorney for the declared offenders, framed charges and recorded the statements of 19 prosecution witnesses, whom the state attorney also cross-examined, before concluding the trial and delivering Saturday’s verdict.
The May 9 headquarters attack case is part of a larger trial in which a total of 118 accused, including PTI founder Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were accused, and all 118 were formally charged in December 2024.
The case has a total of 119 witnesses, of which 47 have recorded their statements so far, although none have been cross-examined. Proceedings in the main trial have also been hampered by delays of approximately three months due to a non-functioning video link system.
