Court convicts violators in absentia, orders fine of Rs 500,000 and confiscation of properties
Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) throw stones after police fired tear gas to disperse them in Lahore 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 offenders, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) figures, to 10 years’ imprisonment each, along with a fine of Rs 500,000 per convict and confiscation of their movable and immovable property.
In the event of non-payment of the fine, the convicted defendant will be sentenced to additional imprisonment.
The verdict was announced by ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah, while special prosecutor Zaheer Shah is prosecuting the case on behalf of the state.
Convicted PTI figures include 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, with a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) identifying them as key suspects in planning the violent protests.
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They are accused of arson, siege, vandalism, attacks on police and damage to government property, particularly in relation to attacks on GHQ Gate, Camp Hamza, Army Museum and Sixth Road MRT station. The case is registered at RA Bazaar police station.
The 47 individuals were tried separately under section 21L of the Anti-Terrorism Act, as they had been absent from trial for two years and had already been declared offenders. Of these 47 people, 18 remained absent throughout the trial, while 29 never showed up in court after the case was registered.
Cases against them were initiated after the prosecution filed an application on January 6 under section 19/10. A subsequent judicial inquiry officially declared that the 47 people were deliberately absconding, following 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 accused appeared. The court then appointed a prosecutor for the proclaimed offenders, formulated the charges and recorded the statements of 19 prosecution witnesses, whom the prosecutor also cross-examined, before concluding the trial and delivering Saturday’s verdict.
The May 9 GHQ attack case is part of a wider prosecution in which a total of 118 accused, including PTI founder Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, have been indicted, with charges being formally framed against all 118 in December 2024.
The case has a total of 119 witnesses, 47 of whom have so far recorded their statements, but none have been cross-examined. Proceedings in the main trial were also hampered by delays of around three months due to a non-functional video link system.
