Islamabad High Court Suspends Sentences of May 9 Rioters

The Islamabad High Court has suspended the sentences of 10 individuals convicted over May 2023 protests following Imran Khan's arrest. The court cited lack of evidence connecting them directly to the crime scene. Meanwhile, arrest warrants were issued for PTI leaders in relation to the ongoing unrest.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 31-01-2025 17:22 IST | Created: 31-01-2025 17:22 IST
Islamabad High Court Suspends Sentences of May 9 Rioters
Representative Image. Image Credit: ANI
  • Country:
  • Pakistan

In a significant legal development, the Islamabad High Court has temporarily halted the sentences of 10 individuals convicted in connection with the protests sparked by the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, as per a report by The Express Tribune. A division bench consisting of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, upon reviewing the case, has granted bail to these convicts, provided they presented surety bonds worth PKR 25,000 each.

The convicts were previously sentenced by an anti-terrorism court to a total of five years and 10 months for allegedly targeting police personnel and setting fire to a checkpoint at Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad. However, the high court found discrepancies in the case records, noting the absence of evidence placing any convict at the scene of the crime at the time. With defense lawyers highlighting that terrorism charges were previously dismissed in the trial, the focus remains on the lighter offenses.

Despite the prosecution presenting arguments backed by forensic and CCTV footage, the high court's decision to suspend sentences challenges the robustness of this evidence. Five of the accused were identified as Afghan nationals, raising additional concerns regarding identity verification. The court is meanwhile continuing to manage the legal matters arising from the May 9 riots, including issuing arrest warrants against PTI leaders like Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz for non-compliance with court appearances.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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