ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Thursday sentenced a group of senior leaders from former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to 10 years in prison over their alleged involvement in violent protests on May 9, 2023, according to PTI officials and local media reports.
The protests erupted after Khan was briefly arrested by paramilitary forces in Islamabad on corruption charges, sparking widespread demonstrations by his supporters waving PTI flags. Several demonstrators turned violent, attacking government buildings and military installations, prompting a sweeping crackdown by the state.
Thousands of PTI members and supporters were detained, and dozens were charged under anti-terrorism laws, with some cases referred to military courts.
“An anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad city of Punjab has announced the decision of sentencing 108 people from PTI, including the opposition leader in the National Assembly, Omer Ayub Khan, the opposition leader in Senate, Shibli Faraz, along with parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Zartaj Gul Wazir, and many others,” Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide to Khan and former federal minister, said in a statement.
“Their status in both houses stands disqualified,” he added.
