25 convicted by military courts for role in May 9 violence: ISPR

RAWALPINDI: The Military Courts convicted 25 suspects of May 9 violence after examining all the evidence and completing the appropriate legal process, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday.

The suspects have been awarded up to 10 years imprisonment.

“Field General Court Martial (FGCM) have in first phase promulgated the punishments to 25 accused,” the ISPR said.

“On 9 May 2023, nation witnessed tragic incidents of politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan. Building on a sustained narrative of hate and lies, politically orchestrated attacks were carried out on the installations of the Armed Forces including desecration of the monuments of Shuhada.”

Terming May 9 as ‘Black Day’, the military’s media wing said that sequel to the events, irrefutable evidences were collected through meticulous investigations to legally prosecute the accused involved. Certain cases were subsequently referred for Field General Court Martial as per law, where they underwent trials following due process.

The verdicts were announced after the Supreme Court’s (SC) Constitutional Bench conditionally allowed military courts to do so in 85 trials.

“These blatant acts of violence not only shocked the nation but also underscored necessity of checking this unacceptable attempt of political terrorism to impose own perverted will through violence and coercion,” the ISPR’s statement read.

According to the ISPR, the promulgation of the sentences of remaining accused is also being done and will be announced shortly as and when the due process is completed.

Names of convicts

• Jan Muhammad Khan son of Toor Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Muhammad Imran Mehboob son of Mehboob Ahmed, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Raja Muhammad Ehsan son of Raja Muhammad Maqsood, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in GHQ attack incident.
• Rehmat Ullah son of Manjoor Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.
• Anwar Khan son of Muhammad Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in PAF Base Mianwali incident.
• Muhammad Afaq Khan son of M Ishfaq Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Bannu Cantt incident.
• Daud Khan son of Ameer Zaib, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Chakdara Fort incident.
• Faheem Haider son of Farooq Haider, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Zahid Khan son of Muhammad Khan, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Multan Cantt Check Post incident.
• Yasir Nawaz son of Ameer Nawaz Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.
• Abdul Hadi son of Abdul Qayyum, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Ali Shan son of Noor Muhammad, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Daud Khan son of Shad Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Umar Farooq son of Muhammad Sabbir, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in GHQ attack incident.
• Babar Jamal son of Muhammad Ajmal Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in PAF Base Mianwali incident.
• Muhammad Hashir Khan son of Tahir Bashir, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Muhammad Ashiq Khan son of Naseeb Khan, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Khuram Shahzad son of Liaqat Ali, 3 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Multan Cantt Check Post incident.
• Muhammad Bilawal son of Manzoor Hussain, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Said Alam son of Maaz Ullah Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.
• Laeeq Ahmed son of Manzoor Ahmed, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in ISI Office Faisalabad incident.
• Ali Iftikhar son of Iftikhar Ahmed, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Zia ur Rehman son of Azam Khurshid, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Jinnah House incident.
• Adnan Ahmed son of Sher Muhammad, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.
• Shakir Ullah son of Anwar Shah, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, son of in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.

“State of Pakistan will continue to vigoursly pursue dispensation of justice to ensure establishment of inviolable writ of the State, so as to uproot this evil of violence driven disruptive and destructive politics based on hate, divisiveness and baseless propaganda. All convicts retain the right to appeal and other legal recourses, as guaranteed by the law and the Constitution.”

‘Justice will truly be served once mastermind, planners are punished’

Terming the sentences an important milestone in providing justice to the nation, the military’s media wing maintained that the justice will truly be served when the masterminds and planners of May 9 are punished according to the constitution and law.

Read More: Military courts get SC nod to announce verdicts in 85 civilian trials

“This (the punishments) is an important milestone in dispensation of justice to the nation. It is also a stark reminder to all those who are exploited by the vested interests and fall prey to their political propaganda and intoxicating lies, to never take law in own hands ever in the future.,” the ISPR added.

May 9 violence

Violent clashes were broken out across Pakistan after former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, 2023.

The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.

Army installations, including Corps Commander’s house in Lahore, had come under attack during the protests by PTI workers.

It is pertinent to mention that the PTI founder is named as main accused in all the May 9 riots cases.