Undeterred, military court convicts another 60 over May 9 riots involvement

RAWALPINDI: Amid concerns expressed by the European Union, United States and United Kingdom, the field general court martial, in the second phase, on Thursday announced punishments to remaining 60 people involved May 9 violent acts at General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi, Jinnah House Lahore and other military buildings and installations.

“Sequel to announcement of May-9 punishments in the light of the Supreme Court’s decision, the Field General Court Martial (FGCM) has promulgated the punishments to the remaining 60 culprits after examining all evidence, ensuring provision of all legal rights to the convicts, and completion of due process and appropriate legal proceedings,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

In the first phase, the FGCM announced punishment to 25 culprits involved in similar acts.

The convicts include Imran Khan’s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi, son of Hafizullah Niazi, 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) in Jinnah House incident; Brig (retd) Javed Akram, son of Chaudhry Muhammad Akram, six-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Mian Abbad Farooq, son of Amanat Ali, two-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Raees Ahmed, son of Shafiullah, six-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Arzam Junaid, son of Junaid Razzaq, six-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Ali Raza, son of Ghulam Mustafa, six-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Raja Danish, son of Raja Abdul Waheed, four-year RI in GHQ attack incident; Syed Hassan Shah, son of Asif Hussain Shah, nine-year RI in GHQ attack incident; Ali Hussain, son of Khalilur Rehman, seven-year RI in Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health (AFIMH) Rawalpindi attack incident; Zahid Khan, son of Muhammad Nabi, two-year RI in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident; Sohrab Khan, son of Riaz Khan, four-year RI in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident; Khuram Liaquat, son of Liaquat Ali Shahid, four-year RI in Multan Cantt Check-post incident; Zakir Hussain, son of Shah Faisal, seven-year RI in Chakdara Fort incident; Ameen Shah, son of Mashter Khan, nine-year RI in Bannu Cantt incident; Fahim Sajid, son of Muhammad Khan, eight-year RI in PAF Base Mianwali incident; Hamza Sharif, son of Muhammad Azam, two-year RI in ISI Office Faisalabad incident; Muhammad Arslan, son of Muhammad Siraj, seven-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Muhammad Umair, son of Abdul Sattar, six-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Noman Shah, son of Mehmood Ahmad Shah, four-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Ikramullah, son of Khanzada Khan, nine-year RI in Bannu Cantt incident; Muhammad Ahmed, son of Muhammad Nazir, two-year RI in Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident; Pirzada Mian Muhammad Ishaq Bhutta, son of Pirzada Mian Qamaruddind Bhutta, three-year RI in Multan Cantt Check-post incident; Muhammad Abdullah, son of Kanwar Ashraf Khan, four-year RI in GHQ attack; Amjad Ali, son of Manzoor Ahmed, two-year RI in ISI Office Faisalabad incident; Muhammad Raheem, son of Naeem Khan, six-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Ehsanullah Khan, son of Najeebullah Khan, 10-year RI in PAF Base Mianwali incident; Muneeb Ahmed, son of Naveed Ahmed Butt, two-year RI in Rahwali Gate Gujarnwala incident; Muhammad Ali, son of Muhammad Boota, two-year RI in ISI Office Faisalabad incident; Samiullah, son of Meerdad Khan, two-year RI in Bannu Cantt incident; Mian Muhammad Akram Usman, son of Mian Muhammad Usman, two-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Mudassir Hafiz, son of Hafeezullah, six-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Sajjad Ahmed, son of Muhammad Iqbal, four-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Khizar Hayat, son of Umar Qiyaz Khan, nine-year RI in Bannu Cantt incident; Muhammad Nawaz, son of Abdul Samad, two-year RI in Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident; Muhammad Bilal, son of Muhammad Afzal, four-year RI in PAF Base Mianwali incident; Muhammad Suleman, son of Said Ghani Jan, two-year RI in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident; Asadullah Durani, son of Badshahzada, four-year RI in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident; Ikramullah, son of Shah Zaman, four-year RI in Chakdara Fort incident; Muhammad Farrukh, son of Shams Tabriz, five-year RI in ISI Office Faisalabad incident; Waqas Ali, son of Muhammad Ashraf, six-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Ameer Zohaib, son of Nazeer Ahmed Sheikh, four-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Farhad Khan, son of Shahid Hussain, seven-year RI in AIMH Rawalpindi incident; Izzat Khan, son of Awal Khan, two-year RI in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident; Asher Butt, son of Muhammad Arshad Butt, two-year RI in Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident; Saqlain Haider, son of Rafiullah Khan, nine-year RI in Bannu Cantt incident; Muhammad Salman, son of Zahid Nisar, two-year RI in ISI Office Faisalabad incident; Hamid Ali, son of Syed Hadi Shah, three-year RI in Multan Cantt Check-post incident; Muhammad Waqas, son of Malik Muhammad Khalil, two-year RI in Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident; Izzat Gul, son of Mirdat Khan, nine-year RI in Bannu Cantt incident; Haider Majeed, son of Muhammad Majeed, two-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Group Capt (retd) Viqas Ahmed Mohsin, son of Bashir Ahmed Mohsin, two-year RI in Jinnah House incident; Muhammad Ilyas, son of Muhammad Fazal Haleem, two-year RI, in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident; Muhammad Ayaz, son of Sahibzada Khan, two-year RI in Main Gate FC Cantt Peshawar incident; Raees Ahmed, son of Khaista Rehman, four-year RI in Chakdara Fort incident; Gohar Rehman, son of Gul Rehman, seven-year RI in Chakdara Fort incident; Naik Muhammad, son of Nasrullah Jan, nine-year RI in Bannu Cantt incident; Fahad Imran, son of Muhammad Imran Shahid, nine-year RI in ISI Office Faisalabad incident; Sufayan Idrees, son of Idrees Ahmed, two-year RI in Rahwali Gate Gujranwala incident; Raheemullah, son of Baitullah, nine-year RI in Bannu Cantt incident; and Khalid Nawaz, son of Hamid Khan, nine-year RI in Bannu Cantt incident.

The ISPR said the trial of May 9 accused under military custody, had been concluded under the relevant laws, and all convicts had the right to appeal and avail other legal recourses, as guaranteed by the Constitution and law.

It said the nation, government, and the armed forces remain steadfast in their commitment to upholding justice and ensuring that the inviolable writ of the state was maintained.

Reacting over the development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced filing appeals against the military court’s verdict. He explained that appeals would be filed against the military court sentences individually also.

He also called upon the Supreme Court to decide the case related to the military trial at the earliest, demanding that a judicial commission should be formed on the incidents of May 9 and November 26.

Agencies add: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, meanwhile, welcomed the punishments awarded in the May 9 incidents.

In a video message issued on Thursday, he said justice had prevailed and that no one would dare attack the country’s defence installations again. He said these culprits were involved in vandalism and were punished after a fair trial. He said the culprits of the May-9 incident were given all fundamental rights during trial. He added that no hasty decisions were made in the trial court as the prosecution took ample time and proper evidence was presented.

Attaullah Tarar said the right to a fair trial includes the right to legal representation, access to records and family. He said the culprits had two rights of appeal against their sentence.

The minister said the May 9 incident was a conspiracy, hatched by the PTI founder chairman. He said the mastermind and other plotters of the conspiracy should also be taken to task.

Separately, Adviser in the Ministry of Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik hailed judgments of the military courts in May 9, 2023 incidents, and said it would help the state establish its writ and send a strong message to miscreants.

In a short statement on social media platform X, he appreciated the sentences of imprisonment and rigorous imprisonment ranging from two to ten years, and said it was a decisive step towards upholding the rule of law and maintaining order.

The adviser said accountability of culprits of the May 9 incidents was a clear message. “Rule of law and ensuring dispensation of justice is the top priority of the state. The verdicts of the military courts fully enjoy confidence of the nation. It shows that no hurdle is acceptable in provision of justice and national commitment in ensuring the rule of law is beyond any doubt,” the adviser said in his tweet.

Later, five accused sentenced by military courts in the 9 May mayhem were transferred to the Adiala jail, according to jail sources.

The convicts transferred to Adiala jail were Muhammad Abdullah, son of Kanwar Ashraf, Raja Danish Waheed, son of Raja Abdul Waheed, Hassan Shah, son of Sabir Hussain Shah, Ali Hasnain, son of Khalil-ur-Rehman, and Farhad Khan, son of Shahid Hussain.