Nov 26 protest: ATC jails 82 PTI workers for 4 months

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Friday sentenced 82 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers to four months’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs15,000 each, after they pleaded guilty in the November 26, 2024 violent protest case.

The 82 accused confessed before the judge and submitted an affidavit, stating that the PTI leadership incited them to protest. In a written statement, the accused assured the court that they would not participate in any future protests.

It is worth mentioning that they had already served four months in prison and are released after paying the fine.

PTI lawyer Muhammad Faisal Malik told The News that nobody confessed in court. “Only a man confessed that he was a poor man and prayed for release, otherwise, not a single man confessed in court in my presence,” he claimed.

He maintained that pressure tactics were used and “we will challenge it in superior court”. Only a man who already faced imprisonment for over four months has been released after paying fine money, he claimed.

During the hearing, other accused present in the court also expressed their desire to confess, but Member of the National Assembly, Shandana Gulzar, reportedly stopped them from doing so. The court asked Shandana who she was. She replied that she was a lawyer. When the court asked about her power of attorney, she said she was currently giving the power of attorney.

Prosecution lawyer Zaheer Shah took the position that Shandana is hampering the proceedings. The court issued a contempt of court notice to Shandana seeking response in court on May 7.

The court directed the SP Security to make foolproof security arrangements for the upcoming hearing of the cases and deploy an anti-riot force at every future hearing.

The November 26, 2024, protest was aimed at building pressure on the government to release the PTI founder. The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician has been behind bars since August 2023 after he was booked in multiple cases ranging from corruption to terrorism since his ouster from power via the opposition’s no-trust motion in April 2022.

The former ruling party’s three-day protests were abruptly ended after fierce clashes erupted between the law enforcers and the protesters, which resulted in the martyrdom of at least three Rangers personnel and a policeman.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court approved the bail pleas of Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and Farhat Abbas in the May 9 cases, directing them to submit surety bonds worth Rs100,000 in the trial court. A three-member bench headed by Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan heard the bail petitions of the accused allegedly involved in the May 9 incidents.