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ATC Sentences 47 PTI Leaders to 10 Years in Prison in May 9 GHQ Attack Case
An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi has sentenced 47 proclaimed offenders, including PTI leaders Omar Ayub, Hammad Azhar and Zartaj Gul, to 10 years in prison in the May 9 GHQ attack case, imposing fines and ordering property confiscation.
ND
by News Desk
2026-03-07
ATC Sentences 47 PTI Leaders to 10 Years in Prison in May 9 GHQ Attack Case

An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi on Saturday sentenced 47 proclaimed offenders, including several senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to 10 years in prison in connection with the May 9 attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ).

The verdict was announced by District and Sessions Judge Amjad Ali Shah, who presides over Anti-Terrorism Court No. 1. The court issued a detailed 16-page judgment outlining the charges and findings in the case.

Among those convicted are prominent PTI figures including Hammad Azhar, Omar Ayub Khan, Zartaj Gul, Shibli Faraz, Murad Saeed, Shahbaz Gill and Zulfi Bukhari.

Former lawmakers Kanwal Shauzab, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Muhammad Ahmed Chattha and Sheikh Rashid Shafique were also among those convicted.

The court imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on each of the convicts and ordered the confiscation of their properties in favour of the state.

The case relates to the violent protests that erupted across Pakistan on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Demonstrations during the unrest targeted government buildings and military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi.

According to the court’s verdict, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report concluded that the accused were involved in planning the violent incidents of May 9. The court observed that the accused were also linked to attacks on GHQ Gate No. 1, Hamza Camp, the Army Museum and the Sixth Road Metro Station.

“The charges of arson, vandalism, attacks on police officials and damage to government property were proven against the accused,” the judgment stated.

A total of 118 individuals, including Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were indicted in the case. The court recorded statements from 44 prosecution witnesses during the trial.

According to the judgment, 18 of the accused repeatedly remained absent during the proceedings, while 29 never appeared in court after the case was registered. As a result, a separate trial was conducted for the 47 proclaimed offenders under Section 21L of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The court directed that conviction warrants be sent to Rawalpindi Central Jail and the station house officer of RA Bazar police station. It ordered that the accused be sent directly to jail whenever they appear before authorities or are arrested. Perpetual non-bailable arrest warrants have also been issued.

However, the court clarified that the convicted individuals are entitled to a retrial on merit under Section 19(12) of the Anti-Terrorism Act if they surrender within two months, or later if they provide a valid explanation for their absence.

In its judgment, the court observed that prolonged unexplained absence from trial could indicate guilt unless proven otherwise. It noted that proceedings in the case were widely reported in national media, and some accused had commented on the trial on social media while remaining abroad.

The case was registered at RA Bazar police station following the attack on the GHQ during the protests that erupted after Imran Khan’s arrest in 2023.

Reacting to the verdict, the PTI rejected the ruling and termed it politically motivated. In a statement, the party said the sentences were “contrary to the basic principles of justice” and described them as another example of political vendetta in Pakistan’s history.

The party also highlighted that several leaders were convicted in absentia and vowed to challenge the verdict through constitutional and legal avenues.

“These decisions cannot silence the voice of the people or stop the party’s democratic struggle,” the statement said.

PTI further alleged that cases against its leadership, including the imprisonment of Imran Khan, were part of a broader campaign of political engineering and demanded the release of political prisoners.
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