Dec 21, 2024
By Rehan Piracha and Ahmed Saeed
LAHORE
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Saturday that 25 individuals, accused of involvement in the May 9 riots, have been sentenced to two to 10 years imprisonment by the Field General Court-Martial.
The ISPR announcement came after the Supreme Court ruling on Dec 13 that conditionally allowed military courts to announce sentences in the cases of 85 civilians alleged to have attacked military sites including the Jinnah House in Lahore, General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, and Pakistan Air Force Base in Mianwali.
The ISPR said the field-general court martial sentenced 25 accused in the first phase, adding that sentences were handed down after examining all evidence and completing due legal process. The ISPR said the accused were provided with all legal rights to fulfill legal requirements.
7 convicts sentenced for 10 years over Jinnah House attack
According to the details given in the ISPR statement, 11 out of 25 convicts were given prison terms ranging from 2 to 10 years for their involvement in the attack on the Jinnah House, the residence of the corps commander, in Lahore. Out of the total convicts, 14 were awarded the maximum sentence of 10 years.
Among those receiving maximum sentences were Jan Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Imran Mehboob, Abdul Hadi, Ali Shan, Dawood Khan, Ali Iftikhar, and Ziaur Rehman for the Jinnah House attack; Adnan Ahmed, Shakirullah, and Rehmatullah for attack on Punjab Regimental Center in Mardan; Raja Muhammad Ehsan and Umar Farooq for the GHQ incident; and Anwar Khan and Babar Jamal for involvement in the PAF Base Mianwali attack.
Another convict, Muhammad Afaq Khan, was sentenced to 9 years imprisonment for his involvement in the attack on the Bannu Cantonment. Dawood Khan, son of Amir Zeb, received a 7-year prison term after his conviction in the Chakdara Fort attack case. Two convicts – Faheem Haider and Muhammad Hasher Khan – were sentenced to six years imprisonment each for involvement in the Jinnah House attack.
Zahid Khan and Muhammad Ashiq Khan each received a 4-year prison term for their involvement in the attacks on the Multan Cantt checkpost and Jinnah House respectively. Khurram Shahzad was sentenced to three years for the Multan Cantt checkpost attack whereas Muhammad Bilawal, Syed Alam Shah, and Laiq Ahmed each received two years imprisonment for attacks on Jinnah House in Lahore, Punjab Regimental Centre in Mardan, and the ISI office in Faisalabad.
Following Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023, violence erupted across Pakistan, during which military facilities were targeted and memorials to fallen soldiers were vandalised – actions that the ISPR characterised as ‘politically-motivated assaults’. “Based on a pre-planned political narrative based on hatred and lies, the installations of the armed forces, including the memorials of the martyrs, were systematically attacked and desecrated,” the ISPR statement said.
The ISPR added that the incidents of May 9th clearly emphasise that no one can be allowed to impose their will on others through political terrorism. After this black day, all the evidence and incidents were meticulously investigated and irrefutable evidence was collected against the accused involved, the ISPR added.
Some cases were sent to the Field General Court Martial as per the law where these cases were tried after due legal process.
On December 13, 2024, the seven-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court ordered the announcement of verdicts of pending cases due to its previous order. The ISPR said sentences of the other accused were also being announced as soon as their legal process was completed.
The ISPR termed the verdicts an important milestone in the provision of justice for the nation. “The sentences of May 9 are a clear message to all those who are exploited by a few vested interests.” The sentences are a warning to those who fall victim to political propaganda and poisonous lies to never take the law into their own hands in the future, the ISPR said.
The ISPR added that cases were also pending against several accused in various anti-terrorism courts in the country. “True justice will be served when the masterminds and planners of May 9 are brought to justice,” the ISPR statement said, adding that punishments would be given according to the constitution and the law. The state of Pakistan will ensure the rule of law by providing complete justice in the May 9 incidents.
Right of appeal
The ISPR statement said all convicted criminals have the right to appeal and other legal remedies according to the Constitution and the law.
According to the Pakistan Army Act, Field General Court Martial can be composed of three or more serving army officers but not less than three. The Army Act gives the right to the convicted to apply for review but all sorts of civilian courts are barred from exercising appellate jurisdiction over the judgments rendered by the military courts. The trials conducted by the military courts are secretive and are not open and public trials, nor the judgments given by the military courts have all the essentials as prescribed by the Code of Criminal Procedure of Pakistan.
List of convicts
1. Jan Muhammad Khan, son of Toor Khan, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 10 years.
2. Muhammad Imran Mehboob, son of Mehboob Ahmed, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
3. Raja Muhammad Ehsan, son of Raja Muhammad Maqsood, involved in the GHQ attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
4. Rehmatullah, son of Manjoor Khan, involved in the Punjab Regimental Center Mardan attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
5. Anwar Khan, son of Muhammad Khan, involved in the PAF base Mianwali attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
6. Muhammad Afaq Khan, son of M. Ashfaq Khan, involved in the Bannu Cantt attack, sentenced to 9 years in prison.
7. Dawood Khan, son of Amir Zeb, involved in the Chakdara Fort attack, sentenced to 7 years in prison.
8. Faheem Haider, son of Farooq Haider, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 6 years in prison.
9. Zahid Khan, son of Muhammad Khan, involved in the Multan Cantt check post attack, sentenced to 4 years in prison.
10. Yasir Nawaz, son of Amir Nawaz Khan, involved in the Punjab Regimental Center Mardan attack, sentenced to 2 years in prison.
11. Abdul Hadi, son of Abdul Qayyum, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
12. Ali Shan, son of Noor Muhammad, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
13. Dawood Khan, son of Shad Khan, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
14. Umar Farooq, son of Muhammad Sabir, involved in the GHQ attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
15. Babar Jamal, son of Muhammad Ajmal Khan, involved in the PAF base Mianwali attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
16. Muhammad Hasher Khan, son of Tahir Bashir, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 6 years in prison.
17. Muhammad Ashiq Khan, son of Naseeb Khan, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 4 years in prison.
18. Khurram Shahzad, son of Liaquat Ali, involved in the Multan Cantt check post attack, sentenced to 3 years in prison.
19. Muhammad Bilawal, son of Manzoor Hussain, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 2 years in prison.
20. Syed Alam, son of Maazullah Khan, involved in the Punjab Regimental Center Mardan attack, sentenced to 2 years in prison.
21. Laiq Ahmed, son of Manzoor Ahmed, involved in the ISI office Faisalabad attack, sentenced to 2 years in prison.
22. Ali Iftikhar son, of Iftikhar Ahmed, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
23. Ziaur Rehman, son of Azam Khurshid, involved in the Jinnah House attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
24. Adnan Ahmed, son of Sher Muhammad, involved in the Punjab Regimental Center Mardan attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.
25. Shakirullah, son of Anwar Shah, involved in the Punjab Regimental Center Mardan attack, sentenced to 10 years in prison.