Islamabad: A Pakistani court has handed down a five-year rigorous imprisonment sentence to 51 supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan for their involvement in attacking key military installations last year. The attacks, which occurred in May, targeted several military installations, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the ISI building in Faisalabad, following the arrest of their party founder in a corruption case.
This is the first conviction in the cases registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders, workers, and supporters in connection with the May 9 riots, primarily in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. The convicts, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker Kaleemullah Khan, were also fined PKR 10,000 each.
The anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Gujranwala conducted the proceedings in-camera inside the Central Jail amid high security. The violence in Gujranwala on May 9 resulted in the death of one Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf worker and injuries to several others, including policemen. The party claims that over 10,000 of its leaders, workers, and supporters are currently in jails in Punjab and KP provinces, facing what they describe as “phoney charges” without a fair chance to defend themselves.
Imran Khan himself has been in jail since August last year and was sentenced to a 31-year jail term in three different cases just before the February 8 polls. He is currently facing over 200 cases in total.
