Islamabad, March 10 The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has condemned sentencing of 47 party leaders and supporters to 10-year imprisonment on terrorism charges in absentia, terming the prosecution as part of "political vendetta," a report has detailed.
PTI's statement came after Judge Amjad Ali Shah of the Anti-Terrorism Court-1 in Rawalpindi sentenced 47 PTI leaders and supporters on charges under 21-L of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. Section 21-L of the ATA, 1997 bars an individual accused of another offence within the ATA, 1997 from obstructing justice by avoiding arrest or evading participation within an inquiry or investigation. For committing this offence, an individual can be given a sentence of five to 10 years. The court also ordered the 47 individuals to pay a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 500,000, Jurist News reported.
The case is related to May 9, 2023 riots, when thousands of protesters, following PTI founder Imran Khan's arrest, stormed the General Headquarters (GHQ) and other military installations, causing damage to the property and death of at least eight people. Over 4000 people, including several PTI members were arrested following protests.
The 47 PTI leaders and supporters faced terrorism charges related to the riots. The court alleges that the protesters led a mob of up to 300 people to attack GHQ gate number 1 and target military personnel with sticks and petrol bombs.
As many as 118 individuals were accused in the original case, including former PM Imran Khan. Among them, 29 did not appear in court after the case was lodged and 18 remained absent during trial. A trial was ordered for the 47 declared absconders, Jurist News reported. If the accused surrender themselves or if they are arrested within two months, they are entitled to a retrial with a possibility of verdict.
In December 2024, a Pakistani military court had sentenced 25 civilians for their involvement in the May 9 riots even though leading human rights organisations had said that the sentencing of civilians was against international law.
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