ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) handed out two life sentences each to YouTuber Adil Raja, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir and Shaheen Sehbai, anchorperson Haider Raza Mehdi, analyst Moeed Peerzada and former army official Akbar Hussain in cases related to riots in the country on May 9, 2023.
The riots — during which government and military installations were also vandalised — had erupted following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.
The prosecution had accused the convicted individuals of “digital terrorism against state institutions” in relation to the events of May 9, 2023.
The cases stemmed from allegations that the accused used digital platforms to incite, facilitate and amplify attacks against state institutions during the May 9 unrest.
Reserved verdicts in the cases were announced by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra today after the completion of trials in absentia.
The trials were conducted in absentia on the prosecution’s request and by means of invoking the relevant provisions of anti-terrorism laws.
According to court orders issued by Judge Sipra — copies of which are available with Dawn — cases against Raja, Khan, Sehbai and Mehdi were registered at Islamabad‘s Ramna police station on the state’s behalf.
Similarly, cases against Shakir, Hussain and Peerzada were registered at the Aabpara police station in the federal capital on behalf of the state.
The court has sentenced the convicts to rigorous life imprisonment on two counts — waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan and criminal conspiracy. They have also been directed to pay Rs500,000 in fines for each of the two offences.
They have been further handed out 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs200,000 for committing an offence under Section 121-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The said provision deals with the subject of conspiracy to commit offences that are punishable under Section 121 (waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan) of the PPC.
Moreover, they have also been penalised with another 10-year sentence of rigorous imprisonment and Rs200,000 fine for committing an offence under Section 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from their duty) of the PPC.
They have also been handed out triple 5-year sentences of rigorous imprisonment on three counts under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. They are also required to pay Rs200,000 for each of the three offences.
In case they fail to pay the fine for any of the offences they have been found guilty of committing, the period of their imprisonment will extend by six months, according to the court orders.
The orders further stated that the benefit of Section 382-B (period of detention to be considered while awarding sentence of imprisonment) of the Code of Criminal Procedure was being extended to the convicts, and that all sentenced handed out to them were to run concurrently.
“The convict is informed that he has the right to file/prefer an appeal in the Hon’ble Islamabad High Court, Islamabad within seven days,” each of the orders said.
The court also authorised and instructed the relevant station house officers to arrest the convicts “upon his availability and to forward him to jail for the commitment of his sentence”.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
