Military courts have sentenced another 60 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 last year, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
Today’s announcement comes less than a week after the ISPR announced that 25 civilians were handed prison terms by military courts over the May 9 events.
Key takeaways:
Total 85 civilians sentenced — conditional on final SC verdict
Imran’s nephew Hassaan Niazi handed 10-year prison term
Sentenced persons “retain right to appeal”, other legal recourses
“Sequel to the announcement of the May 9 punishments in light of the Supreme Court’s decision, the Field General Court Martial has promulgated the punishments to the following remaining 60 culprits after examining all evidences, ensuring the provision of all legal rights to the convicts, completion of due process and the appropriate legal proceedings,” the ISPR said in a press release.
The statement added that the trials of those accused of the May 9 riots under military custody have been “concluded under the relevant laws”.
“All convicts retain the right to appeal and other legal recourses, as guaranteed by the Constitution and law,” the military said.
“The nation, government, and the armed forces remain steadfast in their commitment to upholding justice and ensuring that the inviolable writ of the state is maintained.”
The sentencing of a total of 85 civilians comes after the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench conditionally allowed military courts to pronounce the verdicts of the under-custody suspects in cases pertaining to the May 9 riots.
Following today’s 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 bench had ordered that the announcement of judgements would be subject to a final determination of the appeals before the SC, and without prejudice to the rights of those 85 accused persons.
Imran’s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi, who was handed into military custody in August last year, was among the two people sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, according to the list issued today.
On May 9, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s brief arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence.
Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. Later, the government identified 105 civilians and accused persons and provided a list of their names to the top court to be trialled under the Army Act.
While a five-member SC bench in October 2023 had declared the military trials of civilians arrested on May 9 to be null and void, another bench in a 5-1 majority verdict conditionally suspended that ruling months later — pending a final judgement as it heard a set of intra-court appeals (ICAs).
While hearing the ICAs earlier this month, the SC’s seven-member constitutional bench led by Justice Aminuddin Khan conditionally allowed military courts to pronounce the verdicts of 85 civilians in military custody over the May 9 riots.
The sentencing of civilians by military courts was not only condemned by the PTI, but the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union also raised concerns, saying the move contradicted international laws.
Lawyers had also questioned the proceedings and the “disproportionately high conviction rate”.
