An Anti-Terrorism Court has announced its verdict in the May 9 GHQ attack case, sentencing 47 proclaimed offenders to 10 years in prison each.
The verdict was issued by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Amjad Ali Shah, who also imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on each convict and ordered the confiscation of their properties.
Those sentenced include Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, and Rashid Shafiq. Other individuals among the convicted include Shehbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari, Muhammad Ahmed Chattha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, and Rai Muhammad Murtaza. The court also handed prison sentences and fines to Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Usman Saeed Basra, and Ejaz Khan Jazi.
According to the court’s decision, the accused were found involved in attacks on the GHQ gate, Hamza Camp, and the Army Museum. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report identified them as key figures involved in planning the violent protests.
The verdict states that the accused were charged with arson, vandalism, attacks on police personnel, and damage to public property during the unrest on May 9.
In the case, 118 accused including the founder of PTI and Shah Mahmood Qureshi were indicted in December 2024. The court noted that statements from 44 prosecution witnesses have been recorded so far.
A state counsel was appointed for the proclaimed offenders, and charges were formally framed against them. During the proceedings, the prosecution recorded statements from 19 witnesses, while the state counsel cross-examined them.
After completion of the trial of the 47 proclaimed offenders, the court announced its verdict, sentencing them to 10 years in prison each, a fine of Rs500,000, and confiscation of their properties.
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