FAISALABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court Faisalabad has awarded 10 years’ imprisonment to each Senior PTI leadership comprising Opposition leader Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul and Shibli Faraz in three different cases related to the violent incidents of May 9, 2023.
The court announced the verdict in the cases registered against 185 workers and leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). According to which, the central leadership was sentenced to 10 years in prison while 77 accused, including some leaders, were acquitted.
According to the court verdict, PTI’s central leader and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Senator Shibli Faraz and former federal minister Zartaj Gul have been sentenced to 10 years in prison each. The above leaders were charged with attacking state institutions, incitement and vandalism.
The court also sentenced Punjab Assembly Member Junaid Afzal Sahi to three years in prison. He was also accused of playing a role in arson and rioting.
On the other hand, the court has acquitted former federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi and Khyal Ahmed Castro from the case. The court ruled in its verdict that the evidence against the three leaders was insufficient, giving them the benefit of the doubt.
It may be recalled that after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan on May 9, violent protests broke out across the country, in which government and military buildings were damaged. Anti-terrorism cases were registered in various cities against these incidents. The case was registered in Faisalabad on the complaint of the police.
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