ISLAMABAD: Expressing concern over the recent decision of Anti-Terrorism court, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday has decided to challenge all recent sentences related to the May 09 riots, calling them legally defective and politically motivated.
Commenting on the decision of the Anti-Terrorism court, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, along with party leaders Salman Akram Raja and Babar Awan, addressed a press conference in Islamabad. He called those decisions part of a “new wave of controversial decisions” and alleged that due process is being ignored in politically sensitive cases.
The PTI leaders’ statement came shortly after Lahore’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sentenced several PTI leaders, including former Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid and former Mian Mahmood Al-Rashid, to 10 years in prison in the Sherpao Bridge vandalism case.
The court acquitted six accused, including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Hamza Azim, due to lack of evidence. However, nine others, including party leaders Aijaz Chaudhry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Khaled Qayum, Riaz Hussain, Ali Hassan, and Afzal Azim, were sentenced to a decade in prison on charges of terrorism.
Besides, the ATC in Sargodha sentenced 32 PTI workers and Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, to 10 years in prison in connection with the events that occurred during the May 09 protest.
Barrister Gohar said that there is no shortage of controversial decisions in this country, and today the number has only increased. He questioned the integrity of the judicial process and said, “How can one case be tried in multiple jurisdictions? We demanded a fair trial, but justice was denied at every stage.”
He further claimed that the verdicts against PTI leaders including current parliamentarians indicate the systemic failure of the judiciary. “People’s faith in the justice system has been lost because of these decisions,” he added, adding that the hearing of the cases continued late into the night without any action.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja echoed similar concerns and termed the situation as a national crisis rather than a specific complaint of the party. He said, “It’s not just PTI’s problem – it’s about justice for every citizen.” “In some places, cases have been made only on the statements of a complainant. They cannot fulfill the threshold of fair justice.”
Mr. Raja warned that continued use of anti-terrorism laws against political activists could further erode public confidence in democratic institutions. PTI leader and legal expert Babar Awan also criticised the verdicts, saying that those convicted were “innocent” and that the legal provisions used against them had been misused. Mr. Awan said, “The law is clear when the laws of terrorism can be applied.” “You can’t call every political gathering a terrorist act. This is a dangerous example.”
