Islamabad:
An anti-terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Friday convicted and sentenced 11 accused to various prison conditions and fines in cases related to the violence on May 9, 2023, of charges of attacking Ramna police station, attacking policemen, setting up traits and spreading terrorism.
The convicted men include Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) Member of the National Assembly Abdul Latif and former member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assembly (MPA) Wazirzada Kailashi.
After the verdict, four criminal sentences were arrested from the court’s premises, while Warrants was handed down against seven others.
The four arrested criminal sentences were Muhammad Akram, Mira Khan, Shahzeb and Sohail Khan. Warrants were issued against Abdul Latif, Wazirzada Kailashi, Zaryab Khan, Samuel Robert, Abdul Basit, Shan Ali and Muhammad Yousuf.
ATC judge Tahir Abbas Sipa handed the verdict and stated that the defendant attacked the Ramna police station and opened fire, pelted stones and tried to kill the cops. The defendants also fired on motorcycles.
The court said the defendants were sentenced to 10 years in prison and a fine of RS200,000 each for terrorism; Five years in prison and a fine of RS50,000 each for trying to kill police officers; Four years in prison and a fine of RS40,000 each for burning motorcycles.
Another four -year prison period and a fine of RS40,000 each was awarded for the burning of the police station; Three months in prison for having interfered with police work; and one month in prison for violation of section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC).
9 May refers to the violent attacks on state installations in 2023 following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan over corruption fees. Several people were arrested in these cases, which were prosecuted by military courts as well as ATCs in different cities.
Meanwhile, ATCs across the country have heard several cases. In April, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court ordered by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, the ATCs to decide the May 9 cases within four months.
Of these, 14 cases of Lahore district were pending in two ATCs in the Punjab capital, which is heard in Kot Lakhpat Central Prison on a daily basis. However, an ATC judge said the case of the case -the inaccessibility of the case created obstacles to the court by complying with the Supreme Court’s deadline.
ATC -Administrative Judge Manzer Ali Gill wrote to Punjab -Present Authority Syed Farhad Ali Shah, pointing out that the police register was not available to the Deputy General who is doing the trial for some reason.
The judge said he brought the case to the Message Office’s message for having taken the necessary actions for registration of as many witnesses as possible on each consultation date. Otherwise, the court would continue under the law.
It has been noticed that most of the May 9th cases were postponed due to the inaccessibility of the cases for the cases. On each date, police officers stated the courts that the cases for the cases were available in the Supreme Court.
(With input from our Lahore -correspondent)
