The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad on Thursday sentenced 166 out of 185 accused in two high-profile cases related to the violent incidents of May 9, including an attack on a sensitive military installation.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the court sentenced 58 individuals, including National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, former federal minister Zartaj Gul, and head of a parliamentary party, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Sahibzada Hamid Raza, each to 10 years in prison for their alleged involvement in orchestrating or abetting the attack on a sensitive security facility.
The court also handed 3-year sentences to Junaid Afzal Sahi and Ali Afzal Sahi, while PTI leaders Farah Agha, Farkhanda Kokab, and former state minister Farrukh Habib were also sentenced.
However, the court acquitted 10 individuals, including Zain Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, Faizullah Kamoka, Khayal Kastro, Rana Asad Mehmood Khan, Bilal Ashraf Basra, Haroon Rasheed, Amara Rasheed, Sahibzada Hassan Raza, and Kamran Warraich.
The court noted that the trial of Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi—both named in the same case—could not be conducted as it is ongoing inside the jail premises due to security concerns.
In one of the verdicts linked to the Ghulam Muhammad Abad Police Station FIR, the court issued 10-year sentences to 58 defendants.
Reacting to the ATC Faisalabad verdict, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar announced he would challenge it in the higher court.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier today, the ATC in Islamabad issued arrest warrants for 50 leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, intensifying the pressure on the embattled opposition.
According to the court proceedings, 41 warrants were freshly issued on Thursday in connection with FIR No 1193 registered at the Karachi Company Police Station in Islamabad. Nine PTI leaders had already been issued arrest warrants earlier in the same case.
Among those named in the warrants are several high-profile figures, including former President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi, National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, current Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur, and Imran Khan's sister, Aleema Khanum. Other notable names include Sheikh Waqas Akram, Kanwal Shauzab, Shandana Gulzar, Sher Afzal Marwat, Abdul Qayyum Niazi, Faisal Javed, Salman Akram Raja, Raoof Hassan, Murad Saeed, Ahmad Niazi, Asad Qaiser, Hammad Azhar, Atif Khan, Shoaib Shaheen, and Senator Azam Khan Swati.
The arrest warrants were issued by ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain. On the other hand, in the Faizpur protest case, ATC Islamabad Judge Tahir Abbas Supra also ordered the arrest of Chief Minister KP Ali Amin Gandapur.
Judge Tahir Abbas Supra also issued an arrest warrant for PTI MNA from Faisalabad, Ali Afzal Sahi, for his non-appearance in the March 18 protest case. A case has been registered against the PTI leader at the Golra police station.
Reporter: Zafar Dogar