In yet another setback for the Imran Khan-founded party, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad on Monday handed down 10-year prison sentences to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, and several others over their role in the attack on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah’s residence during the May 9, 2023 riots.
The verdict, announced in a case registered at Samanabad Police Station, convicted 75 individuals out of 109 accused, while 34 were acquitted.
Among those sentenced, 59 received 10 years in prison, including Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Farah Afgha, Kanwal Shauzab, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Ahmad Chattha, Ansar Iqbal, Bilal Ijaz, Ashraf Sohna, Mehr Javed, Shakeel Niazi, and others.
Additionally, Sheikh Rashid Javed and several other PTI workers were awarded three-year jail terms.
The development adds to the mounting legal woes faced by the Imran Khan-founded PTI, which has seen scores of leaders getting prison sentences over the May 9 riots while several others, including the former prime minister, remain behind bars in a plethora of cases.
