Military courts have sentenced another 60 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement in violent attacks on military installations during nationwide riots on May 9, 2023, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
Today’s announcement comes less than a week after the ISPR announced that 25 civilians were handed prison terms over the May 9 events.
“Sequel to the announcement of the May 9 punishments in light of the Supreme Court’s decision, the Field General Court Martial has promulgated the punishments to the following remaining 60 culprits after examining all evidences, ensuring the provision of all legal rights to the convicts, completion of due process and the appropriate legal proceedings,” the statement said.
The statement added that the trials of those accused of the May 9 riots under military custody have been concluded under the relevant laws.
“All convicts retain the right to appeal and other legal recourses, as guaranteed by the Constitution and law,” it said. “The nation, government, and the armed forces remain steadfast in their commitment to upholding justice and ensuring that the inviolable writ of the state is maintained.”
Following today’s announcement, persons who can be released after remissions can “be released forthwith and the persons who have to yet undergo the sentence awarded to them, their custody” will be handed over to the “concerned jail authorities”, as per the SC order.
The bench had ordered that the announcement of judgements would be subject to a final determination of the appeals before the SC, and without prejudice to the rights of those 85 accused persons.
Imran’s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi, who was handed into military custody in August last year, was among the two people sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, according to the list.
On May 9, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s brief 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. Later, the government identified 105 civilians and accused persons and provided a list of their names to the top court to be trialled under the Army Act. In October 2023, however, a five-member bench of the SC declared the military trials of civilians arrested on May 9 to be null and void.
Earlier this month, however, the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench conditionally allowed military courts to pronounce the verdicts of 85 under-custody civilians in cases related to the May 9 riots.
The sentencing of civilians by military courts was not only condemned by the PTI, but the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union also raised concerns, saying the move contradict international laws.
Prison terms range from 2-10 years
According to the ISPR, the following individuals have been handed the sentences.
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Hassan Khan Niazi s/o Hafizullah Niazi, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Mian Abbad Farooq s/o Amanat Ali, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Raees Ahmed s/o Shafi Ullah, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident
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Arzam Junaid s/o Junaid Razzaq, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident
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Ali Raza s/o Ghulam Mustafa, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Raja Danish s/o Raja Abdul Waheed, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in GHQ attack incident
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Syed Hassan Shah s/o Asif Hussain Shah, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in GHQ attack incident
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Ali Hussain s/o Khalil ur Rehman, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in AIMH Rawalpindi attack incident
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Zahid Khan s/o Muhammad Nabi, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the PRC Mardan incident.
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Sohrab Khan s/o Riaz Khan, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident
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Brig (Retd) Javed Akram s/o Chaudhary Muhammad Akarm, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident.
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Khuram Liaqat s/o Liaqat Ali Shahid, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Multan Cantt Checkpost incident
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Zakir Hussain s/o Shah Faisal, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Chakdara Fort incident.
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Ameen Shah s/o Mashter Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Bannu Cantt incident.
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Fahim Sajid s/o Muhammad Khan, 8 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the PAF Base Mianwali incident.
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Hamza Sharif s/o Muhammad Azam, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the ISI Office Faisalabad incident
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Muhammad Arslan s/o Muhammad Siraj, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Muhammad Umair s/o Abdul Sattar, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Noman Shah s/o Mehmood Ahmad Shah, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Ikram Ullah s/o Khanzada Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Bannu Cantt incident
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Muhammad Ahmed s/o Muhammad Nazir, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident
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Pirzada Mian Muhammad Ishaq Bhutta s/o Pirzada Mian Qamar ud Dind Bhutta, 3 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Multan Cantt Checkpost incident
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Muhammad Abdullah s/o Kanwar Ashraf Khan, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in GHQ attack
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Amjad Ali s/o Manzoor Ahmed, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident
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Muhammad Raheem s/o Naeem Khan, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Ehsan Ullah Khan s/o Najeeb Ullah Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the PAF Base Mianwali incident
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Muneeb Ahmed s/o Naveed Ahmed Butt, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident
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Muhammad Ali s/o Muhammad Boota, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident.
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Sami Ullah s/o Meer dad Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Bannu Cantt incident
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Mian Muhammad Akram Usman s/o Mian Muhammad Usman, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident
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Mudassir Hafiz s/o Hafeez Ullah, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Sajjad Ahmed s/o Muhammad Iqbal, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Khizar Hayat s/o Umar Qiyaz Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Bannu Cantt incident
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Muhammad Nawaz s/o Abdul Samad, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident
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Muhammad Bilal s/o Muhammad Afzal, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the PAF Base Mianwali incident
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Muhammad Suleman s/o Said Ghani Jan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident
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Asad Ullah Durani s/o Badshah Zada, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident
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Ikram Ullah s/o Shah Zaman, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Chakdara Fort incident
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Muhammad Farrukh s/o Shams Tabriz, 5 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident
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Waqas Ali s/o Muhammad Ashraf, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Ameer Zohaib s/o Nazeer Ahmed Sheikh, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident
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Farhad Khan s/o Shahid Hussain, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in AIMH Rawalpindi incident
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Izzat Khan s/o Awal Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident
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Asher Butt s/o Muhammad Arshad Butt, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident
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Saqlain Haider s/o Rafiullah Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Bannu Cantt incident
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Muhammad Salman s/o Zahid Nisar, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident
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Hamid Ali s/o Syed Hadi Shah, 3 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Multan Cantt Checkpost incident
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Muhammad Waqas s/o Malik Muhammad Khalil, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident
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Izzat Gul s/o Mirdat Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Bannu Cantt incident
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Haider Majeed s/o Muhammad Majeed, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Jinnah House incident
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Gp Capt Viqas Ahmed Mohsin (Retd) s/o Bashir Ahmed Mohsin, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident
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Muhammad Ilyas s/o Muhammad Fazal Haleem, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident
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Muhammad Ayaz s/o Sahibzada Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Main Gate FC Cantt Peshawar incident
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Raees Ahmed s/o Khaista Rehman, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Chakdara Fort incident
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Gohar Rehman s/o Gul Rehman, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Chakdara Fort incident
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Naik Muhammad s/o Nasrullah Jan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Bannu Cantt incident
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Fahad Imran s/o Muhammad Imran Shahid, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the ISI Office Faisalabad incident
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Sufayan Idrees s/o Idrees Ahmed, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident
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Raheem Ullah s/o Bait Ullah, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Bannu Cantt incident
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Khalid Nawaz s/o Hamid Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in the Bannu Cantt incident
The riots
At least 10 people lost their lives and hundreds sustained injuries, while approximately 40 public buildings and military installations were damaged, including Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) and Askari Tower in Lahore, General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Office in Faisalabad, FC Fort in Chakdara, Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar, Toll Plaza at Swat Motorway and the PAF Base Mianwali.
In total, 62 outbreaks of violence were documented, inflicting a loss of Rs2.5 billion on the country, of which, according to the state, Rs1.98bn in losses were suffered by the army. The military says the events were a coordinated attack by the PTI leadership.
More to follow
