An anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad on Thursday sentenced 108 members and supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in three separate cases stemming from the nationwide riots that erupted on 9 May 2023 after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan. Senior PTI figures—including opposition leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, former information minister Shibli Faraz and former climate minister Zartaj Gul—each received 10-year prison terms. Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, a nephew of veteran politician Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, were among other prominent party members handed identical sentences. Prosecutors said the defendants attacked a security-agency office in Faisalabad, set a police van ablaze and assaulted the Ghulam Mohammad-abad police station during the unrest. The court also imposed a three-year sentence on lawmaker Junaid Afzal Sahi, while acquitting former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, legislator Zain Qureshi, provincial assembly member Khayal Kastro and 74 other co-accused. Defence lawyers said they would file appeals with the Lahore High Court. The verdict is one of several expected this year as Pakistani courts conclude dozens of cases linked to the 2023 protests, which left at least 10 people dead and caused extensive damage to government and military property.
9 مئی کیس میں کئی پی ٹی آئی رہنماؤں سمیت 108 ملزمان کو سزا۔۔۔ فواد چوہدری بری، ان کی اہلیہ کا فیصلے پر خوشی کا اظہار، وکڑری کا نشان بھی بنای https://t.co/1CWXQPCVH6
9 مئی سے متعلق 3 مقدمات۔۔۔ شبلی فراز، عمر ایوب اور زرتاج گل کو دس 10 سال قید کی سزا https://t.co/TbuX8aQMba
فیصل آباد میں انسداد دہشت گردی کی عدالت نے 9 مئی کے مقدمے کا فیصلہ سنا دیا، وسیم بادامی کا تبصرہ #ARYNews #BreakingNews https://t.co/NRIszmUzKA