Latest news with #anti-terrorism
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Pakistan jails eight senior members of Imran Khan's party over 2023 protests
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced eight members of Imran Khan 's party to 10 years in jail each for inciting protests that targeted military sites following the former prime minister's arrest in 2023. Mr Khan faces a separate trial on similar charges, with prosecutors accusing him and fellow PTI party leaders of instigating the unrest that saw protesters attack government and military sites, including the army's headquarters in Rawalpindi and a senior commander's residence in Lahore. Tuesday's ruling has no direct bearing on Mr Khan's ongoing trial, Reuters reported. The convicted PTI members include officials of the party's previous provincial government in Punjab such as Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mehmoodur Rashid, and Umar Sarfraz Cheema. The trial was held behind closed doors in a prison in Lahore city. The sentencing of its eight prominent members is the latest in a wave of prosecutions targeting Mr Khan's PTI following his ouster in 2022. Defence lawyers plan to appeal, citing inconsistencies in the rulings against people charged with the same offences. 'It's surprising that six people were acquitted while eight were convicted, even though they were all charged under the same allegations,' defence counsel Burhan Moazzam said. Among those acquitted was PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The former foreign minister remains in custody on separate charges. After Mr Khan's arrest on corruption charges on 9 May 2023, thousands of his supporters stormed military installations in a dramatic escalation of unrest triggered by his ouster the previous year. The ensuing clashes left 10 people dead in the capital city of Islamabad and led to the arrests of around 4,000 people. Mr Khan's supporters, who accused the powerful military of orchestrating his ouster through a no confidence vote, targeted an airbase, multiple cantonments, the residence of a senior general, and the army headquarters after the leader was forcibly removed from a courtroom and taken into custody. Mr Khan, 72, completes two years in prison next month. He faces around 150 charges, ranging from corruption to terrorism. His party claims all the cases filed against him are politically motivated.
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan sentences eight prominent Imran Khan aides for 2023 unrest
LAHORE: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced eight senior members of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party to 10 years in prison late on Tuesday over riots that targeted military sites following Khan's 2023 arrest, their lawyer said. Khan is on trial on similar charges, being tried separately. The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the residence of a senior commander in Lahore. The prosecution is still presenting witnesses in Khan's proceedings, and Tuesday's verdict does not directly affect his case. The sentences, issued in a jail trial in Lahore, are among a series of prosecutions involving Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Defense lawyer Burhan Moazzam said they would appeal. 'It is surprising that six people were acquitted while eight were convicted, even though they were all charged under the same allegations,' he said. The case relates to one of several incidents stemming from the May 9 unrest, involving alleged incitement during attacks near a major intersection in Lahore. Moazzam said separate trials were ongoing in connection with other incidents that day. Those sentenced include senior PTI figures who held positions in Khan's Punjab government: Yasmin Rashid, a former provincial health minister; Ejaz Chaudhry, a senator; Mehmoodur Rashid, a former housing minister; and Umar Sarfraz Cheema, a former provincial governor and aide to Khan. The court also acquitted PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi who is in custody in connection with other cases, and it was not immediately clear whether the acquittal would lead to his release. Commenting on the verdict, junior law minister Aqeel Malik told local media the decision was 'in line with the law and the constitution.' Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, remains in prison facing multiple cases, including charges of corruption, contempt and disclosure of official secrets. He denies wrongdoing and says the cases are politically motivated. The military denies targeting PTI. Authorities say the May 9 violence caused billions in damage and led to over 3,000 arrests in Punjab.
France 24
a day ago
- Politics
- France 24
Pakistan courts sentence dozens from Khan's party
The sentences were handed down by anti-terrorism courts in the eastern cities of Lahore and Sargodha after dozens were found guilty of involvement in anti-government riots when Khan was first arrested. "Punjab Assembly's Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Bhachar has been awarded a 10-year sentence," deputy minister of law Aqeel Malik said in a press conference. Bhachar helms the opposition in Punjab, Pakistan's most populous and politically influential province. Following Tuesday's verdict, he pledged on social media "not to abandon" support for Khan. A spokesman for Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party told AFP that Bhachar was not arrested until Tuesday evening. In addition to Bhachar, a court in Sargodha also sentenced a sitting lawmaker, a former parliamentarian and 32 other supporters of PTI to 10 years each for attacking government buildings, Malik said. Separately, a court in Lahore sentenced eight PTI members to 10 years in prison each for their involvement in riots in that city. Those sentenced include former governor of Punjab province Omar Sarfraz Cheema, former provincial minister Yasmin Rashid, and Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhary, a sitting senator. However, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was acquitted along with five others. Khan, in office from 2018 to 2022, was initially arrested in May 2023, sparking nationwide unrest, some of which targeted military facilities. Tuesday's sentences were handed down for attacks on police and civilian installations in Khan's home constituencies of Mianwali city and Lahore. Those accused of targeting military installations are facing separate trials in military courts. PTI has vowed to challenge the verdicts in higher courts. The prosecutions "expose a disturbing pattern of procedural impropriety, selective justice, and constitutional violations," said Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, the London-based spokesman for PTI. He called the trials "political spectacles... that are being rushed through at breakneck speed — day-to-day hearings, even late-night sessions till 10:40 PM on a Saturday." Khan has been jailed since August 2023 on a slew of corruption charges his party says are politically motivated. His supporters and senior party leaders have also faced a severe crackdown, with thousands rounded up and Khan's name censored from television. Last year, a UN panel of experts found that Khan's detention "had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him" from contesting elections. Khan's popularity continues to undermine a shaky coalition government that kept PTI from power after the polls last year.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Pakistan jails 8 from former PM Imran Khan's party over 2023 riots
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced eight senior members of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party to 10 years in prison late on Tuesday over riots that targeted military sites following Khan's 2023 arrest, their lawyer said. Khan is on trial on similar charges, being tried separately. The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the residence of a senior commander in Lahore. The prosecution is still presenting witnesses in Khan's proceedings, and Tuesday's verdict does not directly affect his case. The sentences, issued in a prison trial in Lahore, are among a series of prosecutions involving Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Defence lawyer Burhan Moazzam said they would appeal. 'It is surprising that six people were acquitted while eight were convicted, even though they were all charged under the same allegations,' he said. The case relates to one of several incidents stemming from the May 9 unrest, involving alleged incitement during attacks near a major intersection in Lahore. Moazzam said separate trials were continuing in connection with other incidents that day.
Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Pakistan jails eight from former PM Imran Khan's party 2023 riots
LAHORE, July 23 (Reuters) - A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced eight senior members of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party to 10 years in prison late on Tuesday over riots that targeted military sites following Khan's 2023 arrest, their lawyer said. Khan is on trial on similar charges, being tried separately. The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the residence of a senior commander in Lahore. The prosecution is still presenting witnesses in Khan's proceedings, and Tuesday's verdict does not directly affect his case. The sentences, issued in a jail trial in Lahore, are among a series of prosecutions involving Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Defence lawyer Burhan Moazzam said they would appeal. 'It is surprising that six people were acquitted while eight were convicted, even though they were all charged under the same allegations,' he said. The case relates to one of several incidents stemming from the May 9 unrest, involving alleged incitement during attacks near a major intersection in Lahore. Moazzam said separate trials were ongoing in connection with other incidents that day. Those sentenced include senior PTI figures who held positions in Khan's Punjab government: Yasmin Rashid, a former provincial health minister; Ejaz Chaudhry, a senator; Mehmoodur Rashid, a former housing minister; and Umar Sarfraz Cheema, a former provincial governor and aide to Khan. The court also acquitted PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi who is in custody in connection with other cases, and it was not immediately clear whether the acquittal would lead to his release. Commenting on the verdict, junior law minister Aqeel Malik told local media the decision was 'in line with the law and the constitution.' Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, remains in prison facing multiple cases, including charges of corruption, contempt, and disclosure of official secrets. He denies wrongdoing and says the cases are politically motivated. The military denies targeting PTI. Authorities say the May 9 violence caused billions in damage and led to over 3,000 arrests in Punjab.
