SARGODHA/ RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court in Sargodha on Friday sentenced PTI worker Muhammad Ismail to rigorous life imprisonment in May 9 cases related to attack on judicial complex in Mianwali and declared 50 others, including former opposition leader in Punjab Ahmad Khan Bhachar as well as PTI MNAs Ahmad Chatha and Bilal Ijaz, proclaimed offenders.
Judge Muhammad Naeem Sheikh directed the Mianwali police chief to ensure the arrest all 51 fugitives of law within a month and produce them in the court.
The ATC in Sargodha handed down a rigorous life sentence to Mr Ismail for his role in the May 9, 2023 riots, which saw attacks on a judicial complex and other government installations in Mianwali.
The verdict, delivered by Judge Muhammad Naeem Sheikh, also declared 50 other PTI leaders and workers as proclaimed offenders.
Warrants out for arrest of 18 party leaders in Nov 26 protests case
Among those named as fugitives are prominent figures such as former Punjab opposition leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar and sitting MNAs Ahmad Chatha and Bilal Ijaz.
Omar Ayub, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, had previously been declared a fugitive by the court.
Three cases were registered at City Police Station Mianwali against hundreds of PTI leaders and workers for rioting, attacking a Pakistan Air Force base, and damaging public property, including setting fire to court records.
Most parliamentarians and workers were nominated in the FIRs months after the incidents.
Malik Shafqat Abbas Awan, a PTI MNA and counsel for one of the accused, condemned the judgment, calling it “a black spot on the face of the judiciary.”
He noted that Ismail and others had previously been acquitted in two related cases, and accused the court of relying on evidence that had already been rejected.
According to the court’s order, Ismail was convicted under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act, receiving three life terms, a collective 15 years of rigorous imprisonment, and fines totaling over Rs3.5 million. The court also ordered the forfeiture of his property.
Warrants out for 18 PTI leaders
Separately, an ATC in Rawalpindi issued arrest warrants for 18 senior PTI leaders in a case linked to the Wah Cantt protest on Nov 26, 2024.
Those named include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur; Aleema Khan, the sister of jailed ex-premier Imran Khan; former provincial minister Ijaz Khan Jazi; former federal minister Sheikh Waqas Akram; and former MNA Kanwal Shozab.
The court ordered police to apprehend the accused and present them on Aug 8, also summoning the investigating officer with the complete case record.
Prosecutors told the court that the accused were “deliberately evading arrest and ignoring repeated court summons, thereby obstructing the legal proceedings.”
Prosecutor Zaheer Abbas argued that the accused’s continued absence was “affecting the judicial process and undermining the rule of law.”
The court also took up an application seeking cancellation of bail for 68 accused in a related case, issuing notices to their sureties and adjourning proceedings until August 5.
The ATC warned that legal action would be taken not only against absconding individuals but also against those who provided bail sureties if the accused fail to appear.
Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd, 2025
