LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday awarded a collective 35-year term of imprisonment to banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) deputy chief Zaheerul Hassan Shah under various sections of law in a case involving incitement against former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa.
The Qila Gujjar Singh police registered the case against the cleric in 2024. He was accused of delivering an inflammatory speech against then CJP Isa during a protest outside the Lahore Press Club, which was also attended by TLP chief Saad Rizvi.
Several TLP leaders and workers were booked in different cities after Shah had issued a call for violence against the former top judge.
The TLP had organised a series of gatherings last year in various parts of the country against the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Mubarak Sani case. The verdict was delivered after the apex court reviewed the case in light of a plea by the Punjab government against a Lahore High Court order.
Sani had been booked under sections 7 and 9 of the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) Act, 2011, for a crime he allegedly committed in 2019. However, Justice Isa-led Supreme Court ruled that these provisions were added to the law in 2021, two years after the crime was allegedly committed.
Sani was arrested on Jan 7, 2023, and remained incarcerated for 13 months, more than double the maximum punishment permissible under Section 5 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932.
The SC had set aside the impugned orders and ordered his immediate release on the provision of a personal bond of Rs5,000, a decision that drew strong reaction from the TLP.
On Monday, ATC-III Judge Arshad Javed announced the verdict and handed over the custody of the convict to the superintendent of Central Jail Kot Lakhpat.
During the trial, the prosecution produced 15 witnesses in support of the charges against the cleric. Deputy Prosecutor Abdul Jabbar Dogar sought maximum punishment under the law.
Advocate Rana Maqsoodul Haq, representing the cleric, presented final arguments, urging the court to acquit his client.
However, the defence counsel was unable to completely deny the veracity of the allegations.
The judge awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 7(1)(b) as well as five years each under Sections 7(g), 21(L) and 11(w) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.
The TLP leader was also handed separate jail terms of seven years, three years and six months under Sections 505, 117 and 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code.
A collective fine of Rs600,000 was also imposed under the provisions of both these laws.
An order issued by the judge read that all the sentences of the convict would run concurrently.
Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2025
