• Those sentenced to 10 years in jail include Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Shahbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari and Hammad Azhar
• ATC also imposes a fine of Rs500,000 on each of them

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi on Saturday sentenced 47 proclaimed offenders, including prominent PTI leaders Senator Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul and Hammad Azhar, to 10 years’ imprisonment in the May 9 GHQ attack case.

District and Sessions Judge Amjad Ali Shah, who presided over ATC No. 1, issued a 16-page detailed judgement, a copy of which is available with Dawn.

Among those convicted are Murad Saeed, Shahbaz Gill and Zulfi Bukhari, as well as former MNAs Kanwal Shauzab, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Muhammad Ahmed Chattha and Sheikh Rashid Shafique.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on each convict and ordered the confiscation of their property in favour of the state.

The arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, triggered widespread riots across Pakistan, during which government buildings and military installations — including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi — were stormed and vandalised. Following the unrest, authorities launched a crackdown against the PTI, registering dozens of terrorism cases against its leaders and supporters.

Several of those sentenced — including Mr Ayub, Mr Faraz, Ms Gul, Mr Nawaz and Mr Chattha — have already been convicted in other May 9 cases, resulting in their disqualification from public office.

Other convicts include Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, Shoukat Ali Bhatti, Usman Saeed Basra, Ijaz Khan Jazi, Malik Abid Hussain, Zahid Abbas Choudhary, Faisal Mukhtar, and Muzamil Masood Bhatti.

During Saturday’s proceedings, the court observed that, according to the joint investigation team’s (JIT) report, the accused were involved in planning the violent incidents of May 9. The verdict stated that they also participated in attacks on GHQ Gate No. 1, Hamza Camp, the Army Museum and the Sixth Road Metro Station.

“The charges of arson, vandalism, attacks on police officials and damage to government property were proven against the accused,” the judgement said.

A total of 118 accused, including Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were indicted in the case, while statements of 44 prosecution witnesses have been recorded so far, according to the verdict. The court noted that of the 118 accused, 18 remained continuously absent during the trial, while 29 never appeared in court after the case was registered.

A separate trial was subsequently conducted for the 47 proclaimed offenders under Section 21L (punishment for an absconder) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The PTI founder was indicted in the case on Dec 5, 2024. Mr Khan, who has been incarcerated since August 5, 2023, was formally arrested by Raw­alpindi police in the GHQ attack case in Jan 2024.

Perpetual non-bailable warrants

The court directed that conviction warrants be sent to Rawalpindi’s Central Jail and the RA Bazaar station house officer (SHO). It ordered that whenever the accused appeared or were arrested, they should be sent directly to jail. Perpetual non-bailable warrants have also been issued.

The prosecution filed a petition on Jan 6 this year seeking action against the proclaimed offenders, upon which the court ordered an inquiry. During the judicial inquiry, all 47 accused were declared wilful absconders.

The court clarified that the convicts were entitled to a retrial on merit under Section 19(12) of the Anti-Terrorism Act if they surrendered within two months, or even later if they could show good cause for their absence.

In its judgement, the court noted that the first group of accused included “18 politicians of national level” who had “full knowledge of the trial” as they continued attending proceedings held at Rawalpindi’s Central Jail and in the courtroom.

The court observed that the proceedings were regularly reported in national media with global reach, as the case involved a former prime minister as a co-accused.

It said Mr Gill and Mr Bukhari had full knowledge of the trial while abroad and had even commented on the case on social media.

“When the last few prosecution witnesses remained to be recorded, they wilfully absented themselves to bring the trial to a grinding halt,” the judgement said.

Regarding the remaining 29 accused who never joined the trial, the court observed that they had absented themselves even before proceedings began.

Meanwhile, the PTI described the sentences as “not only contrary to the basic principles of justice”, but also “yet another sad example of vengeful actions in Pakistan’s political history”.

In a statement, the party noted that several of those convicted were sentenced in absentia. “These decisions can neither suppress the voice of the people nor stop the party’s democratic struggle,” the PTI said, adding that it would pursue all constitutional and legal avenues against the verdict.

“It must regrettably be said that this decision has further reinforced the impression that the justice system in the country is being used for political aims,” the party stated.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2026