SARGODHA/ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court in Sargodha on Tuesday sentenced Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Ahmed Khan Bachar, MNA Mohammad Ahmed Chattha and as many as 32 other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers to 10 years each in prison in vandalism case related to May 9 riots, reports Geo News
Bachar was not present in the court at the time of pronouncement of the verdict. All 32 accused including Bachar were granted exemption from personal appearance by the court. A spokesman for PTI told AFP that Bhachar was not arrested until Tuesday evening. The other leaders sentenced included Dr Yasmin Rashid and Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed, former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, and Afzal Azeem Pahat.
Meanwhile, the court acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Hamza Azeem Pahat, Rana Tanveer, and Aizaz Rafiq in the same case.
The case was registered in Mianwali over vandalism and riots related to the protests triggered by the arrest of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan in a corruption case on May 9, 2023. Last month, the Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed the bail petitions of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in eight separate cases related to the May 9 riots, including the attack on Jinnah House in Lahore. Previously, on November 27, 2024, the ATC had dismissed Imran’s bail pleas in these eight cases.
The May 9, 2023, events refer to the violent protests that broke out in several parts of the country following the arrest of the PTI founder and saw attacks on public properties and military installations, including Corps Commander House Lahore, also known as Jinnah House. Several PTI leaders and workers were released on bail after their arrests, while many still remain behind bars.
Addressing a press conference, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the sentences were handed down without fulfilling legal requirements and that the judiciary had “failed”.
He claimed that the people have lost faith in the courts. “Today’s verdicts are proof that the judiciary has collapsed,” he claimed, terming the decisions “controversial”.
He further said the same two witnesses were being repeatedly produced in all May 9-related cases. Referring to PTI founder and others, Gohar said: “They had only demanded the right to a fair trial.”
Gohar stressed that under the Constitution, a single case cannot be tried in different jurisdictions.
Barrister Gohar also noted that three PTI lawmakers, including the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, had been sentenced in the same case.
For his part, Salman Akram Raja said the punishment was not limited to PTI leaders but was an attack on democracy itself.
He raised serious concerns over the credibility of witnesses presented in the cases, particularly those being tried in Punjab. “In multiple cases across Punjab, the same individual is levelling identical allegations,” he claimed.
He urged the judiciary and institutions to reflect on the implications of these proceedings and the precedent they set for justice and civil liberties in Pakistan. In contrast, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik — while speaking to Geo News — said justice had been served. “All evidence was presented, all legal requirements were fulfilled,” he said, dismissing PTI’s criticism as politically motivated. “This is the same party that never produced their lawyers or even appeared themselves,” Aqeel said, adding: “They reject any verdict that goes against them, no matter how lawful.”
He emphasised that the decision was in full accordance with the Constitution and law. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik welcomed the Sargodha ATC’s verdict, saying it upholds justice and follows due process. He stated that the law is equal for everyone, and those who take it into their own hands will face consequences. “Punjab Assembly´s Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Bhachar has been awarded a 10-year sentence,” deputy minister of law Aqeel Malik said in a press conference. A sitting lawmaker, a former parliamentarian and 32 other supporters of Khan´s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party were also sentenced to 10 years each for attacking government buildings, Malik said.
Talking in Geo talk show, Capital Talk, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that while no political activist can rejoice in punishment for others, May 9’s consequences must be faced. He noted that some guilty may be acquitted due to lack of evidence, while some innocent may be punished. He criticized PTI’s handling of the issue and brainwashing narrative around Imran Khan’s arrest. He also predicted Imran Khan’s sons won’t return to Pakistan.
Parliamentary leader of the PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar said that as a lawyer and politician, he values justice and the rule of law. He said the recent punishments are aimed at instilling fear and suppressing the PTI’s movement, but asserted that they won’t be intimidated. He claimed the evidence in the case suggests “political punishments” and vowed to challenge the decision in the High Court and potentially the Supreme Court.
