RAWALPINDI: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has sentenced 47 proclaimed offenders to 10 years in prison each in the May 9 GHQ attack case.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah announced the verdict after completing the separate trial of the 47 accused. The court also ordered the confiscation of their properties and imposed a fine of Rs500,000 on each convict.
47 Accused Tried Separately
The 47 accused faced a separate trial after they were declared proclaimed offenders for remaining absent from the proceedings.
According to the court record, the prosecution presented 19 witnesses during the separate trial. The wider case involves 118 accused, including PTI founder Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
So far, statements from 44 prosecution witnesses have been recorded in the main case. The court noted that 18 of the 118 accused remained continuously absent, while 29 did not appear before any court after the registration of the case.
More Read
Prominent PTI Figures Among Convicts
The convicted individuals include several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) figures.
They include Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Shibli Faraz, Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, Shahbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari and Sheikh Rashid Shafique.
Other names include Kanwal Shauzab, Muhammad Ahmad Chattha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Muhammad Murtaza, Shoukat Ali Bhatti, Usman Saeed Basra and Ijaz Khan.
Court Links Accused to May 9 Attacks
The verdict found the convicts involved in attacks on several key locations. These included GHQ Gate No. 1, Hamza Camp, the Army Museum and the Sixth Road Metro Station.
The court also found charges of arson, vandalism, attacks on police personnel and damage to government property proven against the accused.
The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had identified the accused as key figures in the alleged planning and incitement behind the May 9 violence.
Property Confiscation Ordered
Along with the prison sentences, the court ordered the confiscation of the convicts’ movable and immovable properties.
The court also issued directions for the implementation of the sentences and the seizure of the properties of the convicted absconders.
The court has also allowed the proclaimed offenders to surrender within the prescribed period. Those who surrender can seek a retrial on merit under the relevant provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
