Pakistan Jails 108 PTI Members, Including Senior Leader, Over 2023 Protests
Anti-terrorism court issues sweeping convictions, disqualifies six lawmakers and sentences Omar Ayub Khan to 10 years, deepening political turmoil.
Pakistan on Thursday jailed 108 members of former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over last year's anti-military protests, handing senior leader Omar Ayub Khan a 10-year term.
Mass Sentences Deal Blow to PTI
The anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi said the defendants took part in the violence that erupted nationwide on 9 May 2023 when security forces arrested Khan on corruption allegations. Six sitting PTI lawmakers were also disqualified.
Legal Fallout
PTI denounced the ruling as "sad and shameful", vowing to appeal. "Convicting opposition leaders one after another is a black day for democracy," said Khan's media adviser Zulfi Bukhari.
The verdict tightens the screws on Pakistan’s most popular opposition movement just months after a disputed general election.
Political Context
Imran Khan, 71, has been behind bars since August 2023 and faces more than 150 charges, all of which he says are politically motivated. At least 10 people were killed during the May unrest, and thousands of PTI supporters have been detained.
- May 2023: Protests sweep the country after Khan’s arrest.
- August 2023: The ex-cricket star is jailed on corruption counts.
- February 2024: PTI-backed independents win the most seats but are blocked from forming a government.
Thursday’s sentences sharpen tensions between the military-backed coalition and Khan’s supporters, who say the judiciary is being used to sideline the former leader ahead of possible snap polls.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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