Faisalabad: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad has announced its verdict in the May 9, 2023 riots case, handing down prison sentences to 75 accused, including senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, while acquitting 34 others.
According to the judgment, PTI leaders Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, Sheikh Rashid, Kanwal Shauzab, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, and Rai Hasan Nawaz have each been sentenced to 10 years in prison. In the same case, 59 other convicts were given 10-year jail terms, while 16 were sentenced to 3 years each.
The case pertained to the violent incidents of May 9, when PTI leaders and workers allegedly attacked state institutions, military installations, and set martyrs’ monuments ablaze. Political rivals were also targeted, including an attack on the Faisalabad residence of PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, in which senior PTI figures were found directly involved.
The investigation and trial spanned more than two years and three months. The court ruled that PTI leaders incited workers, led violent mobs, and encouraged attacks on state institutions, military memorials, and the homes of political opponents.
At the same time, the court acquitted 34 accused, including former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s son, Zain Qureshi, which observers described as evidence of judicial impartiality.
The verdict reinforces the principle that no one is above the law, sending a strong message that crimes such as those committed on May 9 will neither be forgotten nor forgiven. Analysts say the decision will also boost international confidence in Pakistan’s judicial system and its commitment to upholding the rule of law.
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