RAWALPINDI:
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday sentenced 47 people, including some key PTI leaders, to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 500,000 each in connection with the May 9, 2023 attacks on the General Headquarters (GHQ).
He also ordered the confiscation of the movable and immovable property of the convicts who had been declared delinquent because they had not appeared in court despite summonses.
ATC judge Syed Amjad Ali Shah announced the verdict, saying the accused were involved in planning and inciting violent protests during the May 9 unrest.
According to the judgment, the convicts were linked to attacks on key locations including GHQ Gate, Hamza Camp, Army Museum and Sixth Road Metro Station.
Those convicted include prominent political figures, including Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Shehbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari and Sheikh Rashid Shafique, among several others.
The court noted that the 47 accused had remained absent from proceedings for almost two years and ten months and had previously been declared delinquents.
As a result, their trial was conducted separately under Section 21-L of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, which allows prosecution of absconding defendants. According to the judgment, the prosecution argued that the defendants were central figures in planning the violent protests of May 9.
A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report also identified them as the main organizers of the protests that led to attacks on military installations and public property.
The case pertains to the violence that erupted following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023. The FIR regarding the GHQ attack was registered at RA Bazaar police station in Rawalpindi.
A total of 118 accused, including senior PTI leaders such as Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were indicted in this case as of December 2024.
During the proceedings, the prosecution recorded statements from dozens of witnesses, while a separate trial for the proclaimed offenders was conducted after a judicial investigation revealed that the accused had deliberately avoided appearing in court.
The court also issued arrest warrants for those convicted and ordered law enforcement authorities to ensure their arrest. However, the ruling gives convicted fugitives the opportunity to surrender in court within 60 days.
The ATC ordered all those convicted to appear in court by May 7.
If they surrender within the time limit, the sentences imposed in absentia will automatically be overturned and the case will be retried on the merits.
The court observed that such a provision ensures that the accused always have the opportunity to defend themselves in a full trial if they appear before the court.
The trial linked to the attack has also faced delays in recent months, partly due to technical problems, including the video link system between the prison and the court not working for several months.
Despite the conviction of the 47 fugitives, the proceedings in the broader context of the other accused continue before the ATC.
