In a significant development in the high-profile May 9 attack on Pakistan’s General Headquarters (GHQ), an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi delivered its verdict on Saturday, sentencing 47 proclaimed offenders to ten years behind bars. Among those convicted are notable Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders such as Shibli Faraz, Murad Saeed, and Omar Ayub. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 500,000 on each individual and ordered the confiscation of their assets, marking a stern judicial response to the violent events that unfolded earlier this year.
The ATC judge, Amjad Ali Shah, underscored the gravity of the offenses committed during the May 9 incident, which involved coordinated attacks on key military installations including the GHQ gate, Hamza Camp, and the Army Museum. The court’s decision follows a detailed investigation and a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report that identified the accused as principal architects behind the orchestrated violence. These acts included arson, destruction of public property, and assaults on law enforcement personnel, all of which severely challenged state authority and public order.
Besides the aforementioned leaders, the list of those sentenced also features prominent political figures such as Zartaj Gul, Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Rashid Shafiq, Shahbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari, Muhammad Ahmad Chatha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, and Rai Muhammad Murtaza. Additional convicts include Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Usman Saeed Basra, and Ijaz Khan Jazi, all of whom faced similar penalties. The verdict reflects the court’s firm stance on holding influential individuals accountable for their alleged roles in the violent protests.
The case initially involved 118 accused individuals, including PTI founder Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, with charges formally framed in December 2024. Throughout the trial, the court recorded testimonies from 44 prosecution witnesses, providing substantial evidence against the accused. However, the trial faced challenges as 18 accused remained consistently absent, and 29 others failed to appear in court after the case was registered. This led the court to conduct a separate trial under the Anti-Terrorism Act specifically for the 47 proclaimed offenders who evaded the judicial process.
Following a prosecution request on January 6, 2025, the court initiated proceedings against these absconding accused. Notices were issued on January 8, granting the defendants a seven-day window to surrender. Despite these efforts, none complied with the court’s orders. Consequently, the court appointed a state counsel to represent the proclaimed offenders and proceeded with framing charges against them. During the trial, the prosecution presented statements from 19 witnesses, which were subjected to cross-examination by the state counsel, ensuring a thorough judicial process despite the absence of the accused.
After the completion of the trial phase for the proclaimed offenders, the court announced its verdict, sentencing all 47 individuals to a decade in prison. In addition to the custodial sentences, the court imposed fines amounting to Rs 500,000 on each convict and ordered the confiscation of their properties, signaling a comprehensive punitive approach. This verdict sends a clear message regarding the judiciary’s intolerance for acts of violence and disruption against national institutions, particularly those involving political figures.
