Political Shockwave: PTI Leaders Receive Long Jail Terms Over May 9 Protests

Lahore  August 11 Ali Imran Chattha 

In a decisive legal blow to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday sentenced multiple senior party figures to lengthy prison terms over their alleged roles in the May 9, 2023 protests following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Former Foreign Minister and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was acquitted in two major cases. However, the court handed 10-year prison sentences to Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, former Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, former Provincial Minister Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Ayesha Ali Bhutta, Hafiz Muhammad Arshad—Imran Khan’s security guard—and several other party members.

Two other leaders, PTI MNA Aliya Hamza Malik and activist Sanam Javed, were given five-year prison terms. The charges included arson and attacks on state property, with hearings concluding in Lahore on July 31, 2025.

Earlier, a special ATC in Faisalabad sentenced 108 PTI members to 10 years in prison for similar offenses during the May 9 unrest. High-profile convicts included Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul. Seventy-seven individuals were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. The Election Commission of Pakistan subsequently disqualified the convicted leaders from holding public office.

Political analysts say the verdicts mark a turning point for PTI, leaving its leadership ranks in disarray ahead of the upcoming general elections. Appeals are expected, but the immediate political ramifications are likely to be severe.