Sargodha, August 1, 2025: A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Sargodha on Friday sentenced Muhammad Ismail to 25 years in prison for his role in the violent May 9 attack on the Mianwali Judicial Complex, which involved vandalism, arson, and the destruction of public property.
The verdict was delivered by Judge Muhammad Naeem Sheikh in case number 349/23, marking another conviction in the nationwide legal crackdown following the May 9 unrest, which erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.
In addition to the sentencing, the court ordered the District Police Officer (DPO) of Mianwali to arrest 51 absconders still at large, including Ahmed Khan Bhachar, Ahmed Chattha, and Bilal Ijaz, within one month. The court stressed that failure to apprehend the fugitives within the specified period would invite legal consequences for the concerned officers.
The court also reaffirmed non-bailable arrest warrants for PTI senior leader Omar Ayub Khan, who remains a fugitive. Legal proceedings against him will continue, the judge ordered.
The ruling comes a day after a Faisalabad ATC, headed by Judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh, handed down convictions to dozens of PTI leaders and workers, including National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, MNA Zartaj Gul, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza, in three separate May 9 cases.
However, the court acquitted 88 individuals, including former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Ahmad Kastro, citing insufficient evidence.
The latest rulings signal an intensified judicial response to the May 9 violence, with courts across Punjab continuing to prosecute cases involving attacks on state installations, judicial complexes, and military properties.
