The Anti-Terrorism Court sentenced 10 defendants, including four Afghan nationals, to six years in prison and imposed fines for incidents on May 9.
According to Dawn News, the convicts include Abid Mahmood and Ahsan Ayaz from Islamabad, Shoukat from Rawalpindi, and Naeemullah and Zakirullah from Bajaur.
The Afghan nationals, Dawood Khan, Younus Khan, Ehsanullah, and Lal Agha, reside in various parts of Pakistan. The court handed down six-year sentences and corresponding fines to each.
The initial FIR for the May 9 incidents named 17 suspects. Following investigations, authorities acquitted one and are still searching for six fugitives. The court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for these individuals and mandated their immediate court presentation upon arrest.
These legal proceedings originate from mass protests on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court. Protesters attacked state, military, and private properties, notably at Lahore’s Jinnah House and the GHQ gate in Rawalpindi, resulting in significant damage, eight deaths, and 290 injuries.
In response, law enforcement detained over 1,900 people involved in orchestrating and facilitating the unrest. The court has declared that it will apply stringent measures against anyone involved in anti-state activities.
