Rawalpindi, January 2, 2025: The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced that mercy petitions submitted by 19 individuals convicted for their involvement in the May 9 riots have been approved. The announcement came in a statement released on Thursday.
The ISPR stated, “Following the promulgation of punishments for the May 9 tragedy convicts, they exercised their right to appeal and requested mercy or remission of their sentences.”
The statement revealed that a total of 67 convicts had submitted mercy petitions. Of these, 48 petitions were processed by the Courts of Appeal, and 19 were accepted “purely on humanitarian grounds, in accordance with the law.” These individuals will be released upon completing the necessary procedural formalities.
The ISPR emphasized that decisions on the remaining mercy petitions would be made in due course following the legal process. It also noted that all convicts retain their right to appeal and seek other legal remedies as per the law and the Constitution.
“The remission of punishments reflects the strength of due process and fairness, balancing justice with principles of compassion and mercy,” the ISPR concluded.
Names of Pardoned Individuals:
- Muhammad Ayaz, son of Sahibzada Khan
- Sami Ullah, son of Meer Dad Khan
- Laeeq Ahmed, son of Manzoor Ahmed
- Amjad Ali, son of Manzoor Ahmed
- Yasir Nawaz, son of Ameer Nawaz Khan
- Said Alam, son of Maaz Ullah Khan
- Zahid Khan, son of Muhammad Nabi
- Muhammad Suleman, son of Said Ghani Jan
- Hamza Sharif, son of Muhammad Azam
- Muhammad Salman, son of Zahid Nisar
- Asher Butt, son of Muhammad Arshad Butt
- Muhammad Waqas, son of Malik Muhammad Khalil
- Sufyan Idrees, son of Idrees Ahmed
- Muneeb Ahmed, son of Naveed Ahmed Butt
- Muhammad Ahmed, son of Muhammad Nazir
- Muhammad Nawaz, son of Abdul Samad
- Muhammad Ali, son of Muhammad Boota
- Muhammad Bilawal, son of Manzoor Hussain
- Muhammad Ilyas, son of Muhammad Fazal Haleem
The nationwide riots were triggered by the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan in a corruption case in May 2023. The protests escalated into violence, resulting in attacks on key public and military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the Lahore Corps Commander House, and the ISI office in Faisalabad.
In December 2024, military courts sentenced 60 more civilians for their roles in the violence. Earlier, 25 individuals had also received prison terms. The ISPR reiterated that all convicts were granted their full legal rights during the trials, with evidence thoroughly examined and due process followed.
The Supreme Court had temporarily paused military trials related to the riots, but these resumed last month following a directive from the court’s constitutional bench to conclude pending cases.
