Faisalabad / Islamabad – July 31, 2025
A special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad on Thursday sentenced top opposition leaders, including National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, PTI leader Zartaj Gul, and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza, to 10 years in prison each for their alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023 riots.
A total of 108 individuals were convicted out of 185 accused, with around 60 receiving the maximum sentence of 10 years. The remaining convicts were each handed three-year prison terms. Seventy-seven individuals were acquitted, including prominent PTI leaders such as Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, Khayal Kastro, and Faizullah Kamoka.
Among those convicted is Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, nephew of former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad. He did not appear before the court and has reportedly gone into hiding.
Widening legal crackdown and arrest warrants issued
The verdict comes amid a wider crackdown on PTI leadership. Earlier on Thursday, ATC Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain issued non-bailable arrest warrants for 50 senior PTI figures in protest-related cases registered at multiple police stations in Islamabad.
The warrants target key political figures ahead of PTI’s planned protest on August 5. Those named include former President Arif Alvi, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Faisal Javed, Murad Saeed, Hammad Azhar, Salman Akram Raja, Asad Qaiser, Azam Swati, Atif Khan, Shoaib Shaheen, Aleema Khanum, Shandana Gulzar, and Sher Afzal Marwat.
Multiple protest cases ongoing
Faizabad protest case: The court maintained that Ali Amin Gandapur remains a proclaimed offender in the case related to demonstrations held after Imran Khan’s disqualification. The next hearing is set for August 6.
March 18 protest case: Arrest warrants have been issued for MNA Ali Afzal Sahi, who has not appeared in court to date. The hearing, registered at Golra Police Station, has been adjourned to August 9.
November 26 protest cases: Courts have issued non-bailable arrest warrants and cancelled bail in cases registered across Secretariat, Kohsar, Sadiqabad, and Wah Cantt police stations. A forensic report has been submitted, and hearings are scheduled from August 4 to August 9.
Prosecutors stated that 31 cases have been registered in the Rawalpindi Division alone — 20 in Attock, 10 in Rawalpindi, and one in Chakwal. Nine individuals have already been convicted, and 13 remain on interim bail. Officials criticized PTI leaders for delaying proceedings through outdated medical reports and repeated absences.
PTI reaction: judicial victimization before August 5
Reacting to the verdicts and arrest warrants, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan denounced what they described as politically motivated decisions aimed at crushing dissent and sabotaging their peaceful protest movement.
“These decisions are politically motivated. They are aimed at breaking the PTI’s peaceful resistance and stifling dissent,” said Gohar. He warned that the judiciary’s role in this crackdown is eroding public trust and damaging democratic institutions.
PTI leaders vowed to challenge the verdicts and push ahead with the August 5 protest, calling it a historic movement for national sovereignty.
Imran, Bushra Bibi named in cop killing case
Separately, former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been named among the accused in a case involving the killing of a police officer in Taxila. The case adds to Imran Khan’s ongoing legal challenges. He has been in prison since August 2023 on multiple charges, ranging from corruption to terrorism.
Background: May 9 violence
The May 9 protests were sparked by Imran Khan’s dramatic arrest from the Islamabad High Court premises. Violent demonstrations erupted nationwide, with attacks on public property and military installations, including the Corps Commander House in Lahore. Since then, hundreds of PTI workers have been arrested, and military and anti-terrorism courts have delivered dozens of convictions.
In December 2024, 85 civilians were sentenced by military courts for their role in the May 9 unrest. In May 2025, PTI MNA Abdul Latif was sentenced to 27 years for attacking a police station.
What’s next?
As PTI prepares for its August 5 protest, the government appears to be intensifying efforts to block its leadership through legal measures. With rising political tensions, Pakistan braces for another major confrontation between the state and the country’s largest opposition party.
