Military courts have sentenced 25 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement in violent attacks on military installations during nationwide riots on May 9, 2023, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday.

The revelation comes days after the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench conditionally allowed military courts to pronounce the verdict of 85 under-custody civilians in cases pertaining to the May 9 riots.

Following the verdicts’ announcement, persons who can be released after remissions can “be released forthwith and the persons who have to yet undergo the sentence awarded to them, their custody” will be handed over to the “concerned jail authorities”, as per the SC order.

The May 9, 2023 unrest, which followed the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan saw what ISPR in today’s statement termed “politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan”.

“Building on a sustained narrative of hate and lies, politically orchestrated attacks were carried out on the installations of the armed forces including desecration of the monuments of shuhada,” the military said.

“These blatant acts of violence not only shocked the nation but also underscored [the] necessity of checking this unacceptable attempt of political terrorism to impose own perverted will through violence and coercion,” the statement added.

The convictions, announced following the Supreme Court’s directive conditionally allowing them, primarily relate to attacks on several key military sites including the Jinnah House, General Headquarters (GHQ), and Pakistan Air Force Base Mianwali.

Following what the military’s media wing dubbed the “Black Day”, investigators gathered what they described as “irrefutable evidences” to prosecute the accused. Select cases were referred to Field General Court Martial “as per law.”

The prosecutions gained momentum after December 13, 2024, when a seven-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the finalisation of pending cases that had been halted by an earlier court order.

In this first phase of sentencing, the military courts have handed down punishments ranging from two to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Fourteen of the 25 convicted received 10-year sentences, with the majority linked to the Jinnah House incident. Other attacks involved GHQ, PAF Base Mianwali, Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan, and various military installations across the country.

Among those receiving maximum sentences are Jan Muhammad Khan and Muhammad Imran Mehboob for the Jinnah House attack, Raja Muhammad Ehsan for the GHQ incident, and Anwar Khan for involvement in the PAF Base Mianwali attack.

The ISPR said that “promulgation of the sentences of remaining accused is also being done and will be announced shortly as and when the due process is complete”.

While describing the verdicts as “an important milestone in dispensation of justice”, the statement noted that additional suspects are being tried in various Anti-Terrorist Courts. However, it emphasised that “justice would truly be fully served once the mastermind and planners of 9th May Tragedy are punished as per the Constitution and laws of the land”.

The ISPR characterised the sentences as “a stark reminder” to those who “are exploited by the vested interests and fall prey to their political propaganda and intoxicating lies, to never take law in own hands ever in the future”.

The statement concluded by saying that Pakistan “will continue to vigorously pursue dispensation of justice to ensure establishment of inviolable writ of the State”.

Following the announcement, the PTI’s United States chapter said on X that “colonels and majors, acting as judges, have sentenced civilians it tried in military courts”.

“These civilians were held for over a year in harsh conditions, with many tortured into giving false confessions,” it alleged.

Punishments range from 2-10 years

According to the press release, 25 people were handed down the sentences, which are as follows:

• Jan Muhammad Khan — involved in Jinnah House incident (10 years)
• Muhammad Imran Mehboob — involved in Jinnah House incident ((10 years)
• Raja Muhammad Ehsan — involved in GHQ attack incident (10 years)
• Rehmat Ullah — involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident (10 years)
• Ali Iftikhar — involved in Jinnah House incident (10 years)
• Zia ur Rehman — involved in Jinnah House incident (10 years)
• Adnan Ahmed — involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident (10 years)
• Shakir Ullah — involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident (10 years)
• Anwar Khan — involved in PAF Base Mianwali incident (10 years)
• Abdul Hadi — involved in Jinnah House incident (10 years)
• Ali Shan — involved in Jinnah House incident (10 years)
• Daud Khan — involved in Jinnah House incident (10 years)
• Umar Farooq — involved in GHQ attack incident (10 years)
• Babar Jamal — involved in PAF Base Mianwali incident (10 years)
• Muhammad Afaq Khan — involved in Bannu Cantt incident (nine years)
• Daud Khan — involved in Chakdara Fort incident (seven years)
• Faheem Haider — involved in Multan Cantt Check Post incident (six years)
• Muhammad Hashir Khan — involved in Jinnah House incident (six years)
• Zahid Khan — involved in Multan Cantt Check Post incident (four years)
• Muhammad Ashiq Khan — involved in Jinnah House incident (four years)
• Khuram Shahzad — involved in Multan Cantt Check Post incident (three years)
• Muhammad Bilawal — involved in Jinnah House incident (two years)
• Said Alam — involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident (two years)
• Laeeq Ahmed — involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident (two years)
• Yasir Nawaz — involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident (two years)

More to follow