An Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore has sentenced Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah, the deputy chief and vice emir of the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), to a total of 35 years and six months in prison, accompanied by a substantial fine of Rs600,000. The charges centered on inciting violence through public death threats directed at former Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, marking a significant judicial action against extremist rhetoric targeting the judiciary.

The verdict was pronounced by Judge Arshad Javed during proceedings conducted inside the jail premises on December 15, 2025. The trial relied heavily on evidence from 15 prosecution witnesses, who testified regarding Shah's provocative speech delivered at a protest held outside the Lahore Press Club in July 2024. This event occurred in the direct presence of TLP chief Saad Rizvi, amplifying the gravity of the statements made.

In his address, Shah explicitly announced a bounty of PKR 10 million, equivalent to approximately USD 36,000, for anyone willing to behead the then-serving chief justice. The outburst was triggered by intense backlash from various Islamist factions against a Supreme Court decision in the Mubarak Sani case. That ruling had provided bail to an Ahmadi individual accused of blasphemy while affirming protections for members of the Ahmadi community to observe their faith privately.

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Shah faced multiple convictions under provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, including spreading religious hatred, issuing threats against judicial figures, and attempting to incite public disorder and anarchy. An FIR was registered naming Shah alongside approximately 1,500 other TLP workers, leading to his arrest in Okara soon after video footage of his threats circulated widely on social media platforms.

This stringent sentence highlights the Pakistani authorities' resolute campaign against radical elements within the country. The TLP was officially proscribed under the Anti-Terrorism Act in October 2025, following violent confrontations during pro-Gaza demonstrations that claimed at least 16 lives, injured more than 1,600 individuals, and prompted the arrest of thousands of supporters, while TLP chief Saad Rizvi continues to evade capture by remaining underground.

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