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ATC Hands Two Life Sentences Each to Seven Journalists, YouTuber in May 9 Cases
An Islamabad anti-terrorism court has sentenced YouTuber Adil Raja and six journalists to two life terms each for “digital terrorism” linked to the May 9 riots, along with multiple additional prison terms and fines.
ND
by News Desk
2026-01-02
ATC Hands Two Life Sentences Each to Seven Journalists, YouTuber in May 9 Cases

An Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday sentenced seven individuals — including a YouTuber, senior journalists, an anchorperson, a political analyst and a former army official — to two life sentences each in cases related to the violent unrest of May 9, 2023.

The convicts include YouTuber Adil Raja, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir and Shaheen Sehbai, anchorperson Haider Raza Mehdi, analyst Moeed Pirzada and former army official Akbar Hussain. The riots had erupted across the country following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan, during which government and military installations were vandalised.

The verdicts were announced by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra after the conclusion of trials conducted in absentia. The prosecution had requested the in-absentia proceedings by invoking relevant provisions of anti-terrorism laws.

According to the prosecution, the convicted individuals were involved in “digital terrorism against state institutions” by allegedly using online platforms to incite, facilitate and amplify attacks during the May 9 unrest.

Court orders show that cases against Adil Raja, Wajahat Saeed Khan, Shaheen Sehbai and Haider Raza Mehdi were registered at Ramna police station, while cases against Sabir Shakir, Akbar Hussain and Moeed Pirzada were lodged at the Aabpara police station.

The court awarded two life sentences of rigorous imprisonment on charges of waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan and criminal conspiracy. The convicts were also fined Rs500,000 for each of the two offences.

In addition, the court sentenced them to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs200,000 under Section 121-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which deals with conspiracy related to offences punishable under Section 121 of the PPC. Another 10-year sentence along with a Rs200,000 fine was awarded under Section 131 of the PPC for abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce members of the armed forces from their duty.

Furthermore, the court handed down three separate five-year rigorous imprisonment terms under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, along with fines of Rs200,000 for each offence. The court orders stated that failure to pay any of the imposed fines would result in an additional six months of imprisonment per offence.

The court also extended the benefit of Section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure — which allows the period of detention to be counted towards the sentence — and ordered that all sentences would run concurrently.

Each order informed the convicts of their right to file an appeal before the Islamabad High Court within seven days. The court also directed the relevant station house officers to arrest the convicts upon their availability and commit them to jail to serve their sentences.

During the trials, the prosecution examined 24 witnesses. Public prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kayani represented the state, while Advocate Gulfam Ashraf Goraiya appeared as defence counsel, having been appointed by the court. A detailed written judgement outlining the evidentiary basis and legal reasoning behind the convictions is expected to be issued later.

The cases were registered in 2023. Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada and Akbar Hussain were booked on charges of sedition and terrorism, while Shaheen Sehbai, Wajahat Saeed Khan, Adil Raja and Haider Raza Mehdi were accused of abetting mutiny and inciting attacks on military installations.

At the time, international rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), had expressed concern over the cases, warning that the use of anti-terror and sedition laws against journalists and commentators could undermine freedom of expression in Pakistan.
Tagged:

ATCVerdict

DigitalTerrorism

May9Cases

JournalistsSentenced
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