May 9 cases: Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul get ten years each

FAISALABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad has delivered verdicts in four cases linked to the events of May 9, sentencing 108 individuals and acquitting 77 others.

Several leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul, were each handed 10-year prison sentences. Among those sentenced is also Member of Punjab Assembly (MPA) Junaid Afzal Sahi, who received a prison term of three years.

The court also sentenced MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Sheikh Rashid Shafiq to 10 years in prison.

The court acquitted multiple political figures, including former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Ahmad Kastro.

In total 77 people were acquitted, including Faizullah Kamuka, Malik Jahan Zeb, Rana Asad Mahmood, Khurram Ijaz Kahlon, Bilal Ashraf Basra, Haroon Rashid Amara Rashid Nazia, Sardar Ehtesham, Javed Sahibzada, Hassan Raza Hassan, Zakat Niazi, Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry, Abdul Haseeb Tipu, Rana Munir Khalid Shafiq, Najmul Hassan, Rana Ali Gias, and Shiraz Hussain Milli.

The verdicts were delivered following months of proceedings related to unrest and damage caused during the incidents on May 9.

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PTI TO CHALLENGE VERDICT, SAYS GOHAR

“Today is a sad day for democracy,” PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said after the ATC verdict, adding that PTI will challenge the court’s decision.

“We will decide on the future course of action soon,” Gohar said, adding that all cases against PTI are political. “We do not believe in extremism. We do not believe in violence in politics. PTI is being expelled from parliament. Those who were sentenced do not believe in political violence,” he added. Gohar said that there is still time to save the system.