ISLAMABAD (MNN); An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has awarded two life sentences each to YouTuber Adil Raja, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir and Shaheen Sehbai, anchorperson Haider Raza Mehdi, analyst Moeed Pirzada and former army official Akbar Hussain in cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots.
The unrest erupted after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan, during which government and military installations were vandalised. The prosecution accused the convicts of “digital terrorism against state institutions,” alleging they used online platforms to incite, facilitate and amplify attacks during the May 9 violence.
The reserved verdicts were announced on Friday by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra after trials were conducted in absentia at the prosecution’s request under anti-terrorism laws.
According to court orders, cases against Adil Raja, Wajahat Saeed Khan, Shaheen Sehbai and Haider Raza Mehdi were registered at Ramna police station, while cases against Sabir Shakir, Akbar Hussain and Moeed Pirzada were registered at Aabpara police station.
The court sentenced the convicts to rigorous life imprisonment on two counts of waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan and criminal conspiracy, along with fines of Rs500,000 for each offence.
They were also awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs200,000 under Section 121-A of the Pakistan Penal Code for conspiracy, and another 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment with a Rs200,000 fine under Section 131 for abetting mutiny.
In addition, the court handed down three separate five-year rigorous imprisonment sentences under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, along with fines of Rs200,000 for each count. Failure to pay any fine will result in an additional six months’ imprisonment.
The court extended the benefit of Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code and ordered that all sentences would run concurrently. The convicts were informed of their right to appeal before the Islamabad High Court within seven days. Police were also directed to arrest them upon availability and commit them to jail.
During the trials, the prosecution presented 24 witnesses. Public Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kayani represented the state, while Advocate Gulfam Ashraf Goraiya, appointed by the court, appeared for the defence.
A detailed written judgment is expected to be issued later, outlining the evidence and legal reasoning behind the convictions.
The cases were registered in 2023. Shakir, Pirzada and Hussain were booked on charges of sedition and terrorism, while Sehbai, Khan, Raja and Mehdi were accused of abetting mutiny and inciting attacks on military installations.
Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders had earlier expressed concern over the cases, warning that the use of such laws against journalists and commentators undermines freedom of expression.
