Islamabad:
Friday, the Islamabad’s anti-terrorism court (ATC) condemned and sentenced 11 individuals to various prison and fines in the context of the violence that occurred on May 9, 2023.
The accusations brought against them included the attack on the Ramna police station, the assault of police staff, commit a criminal fire and the spread of terrorism.
Among the convicted people, there was Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) member of the National Assembly Abdul Latif and the former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mpa Wazirzada Kilashi.
After the verdict announcement, four of the convicts, Muhammad Akram, Mira Khan, Shahzeb and Sohail Khan, were arrested in the premises of the court. Mandates have been issued for the other seven, namely Abdul Latif, Wazirzada Kilashi, ZaryaB Khan, Samuel Robert, Abdul Basit, Shan Ali and Muhammad Yousuf.
The verdict, rendered by the ATC judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, said that the accused had attacked the Ramna police station, opened fire, almost stones and tried to kill police. They also set fire to motorcycles.
According to the court’s decision, the accused was sentenced to 10 years in prison and sentenced to a fine of 200,000 rupees each for acts of terrorism.
In addition, they were sentenced to five years in prison and sentenced to a fine of 50,000 rupees for trying to kill the police; Four years in prison and a fine of 40,000 rupees each for burning motorcycles; Four additional years in prison and a fine of 40,000 rupees each for having set fire to the police station; Three months in prison to hinder police work; And one month in prison for violation of article 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC).
The affairs of May 9 refer to the violent attacks against the state installations which followed the arrest of the founder of the PTI, Imran Khan, for corruption in 2023. A certain number of people were arrested in these cases, which were tried by military courts and anti -terrorist courses in various cities.
ATCs across the country continue to hear related cases. In April, a bench of three members of the Supreme Court, led by chief judge Yahya Afridi, ordered the ATC to conclude procedures in the affairs of May 9 in the four months.
In Lahore, 14 cases remain pending in two ATCs, who currently hear them daily in Kot Lakhpat central prison. However, a judge of one of these courts noted that the unavailability of case files created important obstacles to respect the deadline of the Supreme Court.
ATC administrative judge Manzer Ali Gill wrote to the Punjab Attorney General Syed Farhad Ali Shah, declaring that police files were not provided to the deputy prosecutor leading the trial for various reasons.
The judge stressed that the case had been brought to the attention of the accusation office to take the necessary measures to ensure that witnesses could be recorded on each hearing date. He warned that the failure of these measures, the court would proceed in accordance with the law.
It has been observed that the majority of cases of May 9 have faced adjournment due to the unavailability of relevant files. At each hearing date, police officials informed the courts that the files of the case remain at the Supreme Court.
(With the contribution of our Lahore correspondent)
