FAISLABAD – An anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad has announced its verdict in two high-profile cases related to the May 9 riots, awarding sentences to a total of 167 individuals, including Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz.
166 of the accused were each handed 10-year prison sentences. The cases involve attacks on sensitive installations and incidents of vandalism by the PTI supporters that occurred during the unrest on May 9, 2023.
In the case related to the attack on a sensitive institution, the court sentenced 108 out of 185 accused, while the remaining were acquitted.
In a separate case registered at Ghulam Muhammad Abad police station, 58 out of 66 accused were sentenced to 10 years in prison, with 8 being acquitted.
Among those sentenced to 10 years are Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, and National Assembly member Sahibzada Hamid Raza. Junaid Afzal Sahi sentenced to three years in jail.
Meanwhile, several high-profile figures were acquitted, including Sial Castro, former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, and Zain Qureshi, son of former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
This verdict follows a recent decision by another anti-terrorism court in Lahore, which sentenced PTI leaders Ahmed Chattha, Ahmed Khan Bhachar, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, and Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed to 10 years in prison in connection with similar charges related to the May 9 unrest.
Security was tightened around the court during the announcement of the verdicts, reflecting the sensitive nature of the cases.
