On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested.
Out of 185 PTI workers accused, 108 have been sentenced by the court today. PTI’s Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA), Junaid Afzal Sahi, was sentenced to three years in prison. Meanwhile, MPA Khayal Ahmad Kastro, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Zain Qureshi, and former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry have been acquitted in the cases.
Reacting to the development, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the party will challenge the decision in the high courts.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad today, Gohar said: “We will raise the issue with PTI Founder Imran Khan on the future course of action regarding whether we should return to the parliament or launch a movement.”
He said that the “political cases against PTI members were baseless”, adding that the PTI believed in running the system instead of believing in extremism.
“We do not believe in violence or incitement in politics. Those who have been convicted today do not believe in politics of violence.”
In a post on X, the PTI condemned the sentences in the strongest terms and branded the cases “false, fabricated, and politically motivated”, adding that the opposition leaders in both houses were sentenced to prevent the party’s mass mobilisation on August 5.
“Through this decision, six of our National Assembly members, three Punjab Assembly members and one senator have been sentenced,” the party stated. “This decision is not only a clear violation of the Constitution and the law but also another dark stain on the face of justice.
“The judiciary’s continuous transformation into a rubber stamp at the behest of the state system, issuing such grave verdicts one after another under political pressure without transparent trials, evidence, cross-examination of witnesses, or the right to defence, is a dangerous trend that is completely undermining the credibility of the judicial system,” the statement added.
The PTI added that this is the “first time” opposition leaders in both houses of parliament have been sentenced “solely based on their loyalty to Imran Khan’s political narrative, public representation, and constitutional struggle”.
“The real purpose of these decisions is not to deliver legal justice but to make a concerted effort to prevent the public protest scheduled for August 5, which was announced by Imran Khan himself,” the party claimed.
“Today’s sentences and the warrants issued against several other leaders this morning are all links in the chain of fear that the state system harbours toward Imran Khan’s peaceful public movement.”
Moreover, the party branded the sentences “part of a systematic plan aimed at suppressing the public awakening and political consciousness emerging under Imran Khan’s leadership”.
However, the PTI wrote that these sentences only ignited their resolve, ahead of the protests slated for August 5.
“Imran Khan’s vision lives in our hearts, and our loyalty to it remains unwavering. Our leaders and workers are ready for every sacrifice, because we believe that only those nations survive the darkness of oppression that resist,” the statement read.
In May, an ATC in Islamabad sentenced PTI members, including MNA Abdul Latif, to 27 years of imprisonment for attacking a police station during the May 9 riots.
In December 2024, military courts had sentenced 85 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement in violent attacks on military installations during the riots on May 9.
