ATC sentences 47 accused in May 9 GHQ attack case

RAWALPINDI: An Anti-Terrorism Court has sentenced 47 declared accused to 10 years in prison each in the case related to the attack on the General Headquarters during the May 9 violence.

The verdict was announced by Judge Amjad Ali Shah of the Anti-Terrorism Court. The court also imposed a fine of Rs550,000 on each convicted individual and ordered the confiscation of their properties.

Among those convicted are prominent political figures including Omar Ayub Khan, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab and Rashid Shafiq.

Others named in the decision include Shahbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari, Muhammad Ahmed Chatha, Rai Hassan Nawaz and Rai Muhammad Murtaza, along with several other accused.

According to the court ruling, the convicted individuals were involved in attacks on the GHQ gate, Hamza Camp and the Army Museum during the violent protests on May 9. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report identified them as key figures involved in planning the unrest.

The verdict stated that the accused were charged with arson, vandalism, attacks on police personnel and damage to government property. In total, 118 individuals, including Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were indicted in the case in December 2024.

The court noted that statements from 44 prosecution witnesses had been recorded during the trial. It also observed that 18 of the accused remained continuously absent during the proceedings, while 29 never appeared in court after the case was registered.

A separate trial was conducted for the 47 declared absconders under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The prosecution sought action against them on January 6 this year, after which the court issued advertisements on January 8 declaring them absconders and giving them seven days to surrender. However, none of the accused appeared before the court.