An anti-terrorism court judge (ATC) directly blamed the senior management of PTI for the riots of May 9, 2023, declaring that "Each head of the PTI judges his duty to mobilize the workers of the PTI just to show his most sincere attachment with their president, Imran Khan."
Judge Manzar Ali Gill judged that the senior management of the PTI has repeatedly prompted their workers and supporters against state institutions by depicting Imran Khan as the "Nijat Dahinda" (Savior) of all their problems – ranging from injustice and insecurity to social grievances.
"Therefore, his arrest [on May 9, 2023] has led to attacks against military facilities and official buildings," Gill wrote in his detailed judgment in a case against PTI leaders, who included accusations of "Attack and set fire to a vehicle of the team of a Supreme Court judge" During the riots that followed Khan’s arrest. On September 9, Gill sentenced 17 convicts, including the former governor of Punjab, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, Dr. Yasmeen Rashid and Mian Mehmood Rasheed, up to ten years in prison. However, he acquitted former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and several other PTI workers. The judgment noted that after having examined the evidence of the accusation – including the accounts of social media, the press clippings and the television images – "The court is of the opinion that each head of the PTI has done their best to give hope, confidence and support, by loading workers and the public to get out of their homes and participate in the demonstration in the arrest of their chief, Imran Khan."
Judge Gill also pointed out that the leaders of PTI, with the exception of Qureshi who pleaded Alibi, "I did their best to achieve the objectives set by Imran Khan during the meetings which were held on May 7 and 9, 2023, in Zaman Park, such as deposited by two dependent witnesses."
He added: "There is no doubt that the workers and supporters of the PTI take the advice and command of their Imran Khan chief as sacred."
On the accusations of criminal conspiracy, the judge cited the testimony of two witnesses of the secret police, Hassam Afzal and Muhammad Khalid. He observed that they had remained consistent throughout long inter-examination. Defense lawyers tried to refute their presence at Zaman Park, but did not dispute the fact that the meetings were held there. The witnesses testified that they had entered the Khan’s residence in simple clothes, mixing with the workers of the PTI. Judge Gill noted: "As a secret police officers formed, they knew how to blend into rallies. It is a universal truth that each country has secret police officers working stealthily. Almost in each political or social gathering, these officials are detained to monitor feelings and strategies."
He rejected the defense plea on which the social media accounts relied by the accusation were false.
"None of the accused has ever filed a complaint with Pemra [Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority] Affirm that their accounts were false. In the absence of such a complaint, it cannot be presumed that their accounts were managed by others," The judgment read. The properties were confiscated, the ATC also stressed that, under the judgments announced through Punjab, more than 130 legislators and workers of the PTI made their properties lose. Earlier, ATC Faisalabad had ordered the confiscation of properties of 90 convicted, while the Sargodha court, in two cases, ordered the forfeiture of 30 properties of convicted people under article 7 (2) of the 1997 law on terrorism.
