Pak Court Jails 17 Imran Khan Supporters for 10 Years
PTI leaders convicted over 2023 riots, verdict sparks outrage.
In a controversial ruling, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore sentenced 17 supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to 10 years in prison each on September 9, 2025, for their involvement in the violent May 9, 2023, riots. The verdict, delivered by Judge Manzer Ali Gill inside Kot Lakhpat Jail, pertains to the torching of a Supreme Court judge’s squad vehicle during protests triggered by Khan’s arrest by Pakistan Rangers.
Among those convicted are prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including former Punjab ministers Yasmin Rashid and Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, former Punjab governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema, and former senator Ejaz Chaudhry. Fashion designer Khadija Shah, granddaughter of former army chief Asif Nawaz Janjua, received a lighter five-year sentence in the same case. Meanwhile, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and 20 others were acquitted, marking Qureshi’s fourth acquittal in May 9-related cases in Lahore.
The PTI condemned the verdict as politically motivated, accusing the judiciary of targeting the party to suppress Khan’s influence. PTI senior leader Zulfi Bokhari called the ruling a “disgrace to justice,” arguing it lacks evidence and serves as a tool to intimidate Khan’s supporters. “This is purely political, designed to silence democratic voices through fear,” Bokhari stated, vowing to challenge the sentences in higher courts.
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The May 9, 2023, riots erupted after Khan’s brief arrest on corruption charges, with PTI supporters attacking military installations and government buildings across Pakistan. The unrest, which subsided after Khan’s release on Supreme Court orders, led to the arrest of approximately 10,000 PTI supporters, with many facing charges under anti-terrorism laws. Some cases have been referred to military courts, raising concerns about judicial fairness.
The convictions add to a series of legal setbacks for PTI, with other leaders like opposition leader Omar Ayub and nearly 200 supporters sentenced in similar cases in Faisalabad in July 2025. The party insists these rulings aim to curb Khan’s “unparalleled popularity” ahead of future elections. As legal battles continue, the verdicts have intensified debates over judicial impartiality and political persecution in Pakistan, with PTI promising to escalate its fight for justice.
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