Faisalabad, July 31, 2025 (TNS): In a major legal development tied to the May 9, 2023 violence, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad has handed down 10-year prison sentences to 108 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers, including key figures from the party’s central leadership. The court delivered its verdict in three separate cases pertaining to attacks on state installations, particularly the Ghulam Muhammad Abad police station in Faisalabad.
Among those convicted is Omar Ayub Khan, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, and Senator Shibli Faraz, the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Both have been sentenced to 10 years in prison for their alleged roles in inciting violence, attacking state institutions, and damaging public property.
Other senior figures sentenced include Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Chairman of Sunni Ittehad Council, Rashid Shafiq, nephew of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Kanwal Shauzab, former MNA, Rai Hassan Nawaz, PTI stalwart from central Punjab and Zartaj Gul, former federal minister for climate change.
The court also sentenced Punjab Assembly Member Junaid Afzal Sahi to three years in prison for participating in riots and acts of arson.
Conversely, the court acquitted 77 individuals, including prominent PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Ahmad Kastro, citing lack of sufficient evidence. The judgment noted that these individuals were given the benefit of the doubt due to weak or unsubstantiated prosecution.
Other acquitted individuals include Sikandar Saleem, Shehzad Anwar, Muhammad Saeed Iqbal, and Mian Muhammad Arshad. Meanwhile, those convicted also include Owais Akbar, Tahir Javed, Sabir Ali, Muhammad Mohsin, Ali Raza, Mubashir Ali, Nauman Jameel, Samiullah, Muhammad Shafiq, and Shehzad Ilyas Sajid.
Background: May 9 protests and crackdown
The violent protests erupted nationwide on May 9, 2023, following the dramatic arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court by paramilitary Rangers. PTI supporters launched attacks on military and government buildings — including GHQ in Rawalpindi, the Corps Commander House in Lahore, and multiple police stations.
The government responded with a sweeping crackdown on PTI’s leadership and activists, filing numerous cases under anti-terrorism laws. The military’s influence over the prosecutions and the use of military courts drew strong criticism from rights watchdogs including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
The cases decided in Faisalabad were registered on behalf of the local police, accusing the suspects of inciting violence, leading mobs, and damaging public infrastructure during the attack on the Ghulam Muhammad Abad police station.
PTI reaction
The PTI condemned the verdict, calling it “a politically engineered ruling” aimed at neutralizing the party’s top leadership ahead of national elections. The party announced it will challenge the verdict in the Lahore High Court, and reiterated its demand for independent judicial oversight of May 9-related cases.
This verdict marks one of the most significant judicial actions stemming from the May 9 unrest, which has fundamentally altered the political landscape in Pakistan and deepened civil-military tensions.
