Pakistan’s Military Courts Sentence 25 in Attacks on State Installations

ISLAMABAD:  Sentences have been awarded to 25 individuals involved in the May 9, 2023, attacks on state installations in Pakistan, the country’s military said on Saturday.

According to the military’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the convicted individuals were involved in attacks on key military sites, including the General Headquarters (GHQ), Jinnah House, and Pakistan Air Force Base, Mianwali.

The ISPR, said that the Field General Court Martial has sentenced 25 individuals in the first phase, after a “thorough review of evidence” and the “completion of proper legal procedures”.

Fourteen individuals received 10-year sentences of rigorous imprisonment, while the others were given shorter terms, according to the statement.

According to the ISPR, “On 9 May 2023, nation witnessed tragic incidents of politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan.”

“Building on a sustained narrative of hate and lies, politically orchestrated attacks were carried out on the installations of the Armed Forces including desecration of the monuments of Shuhada,” the ISPR maintained.

The statement said, “These blatant acts of violence not only shocked the nation but also underscored necessity of checking this unacceptable attempt of political terrorism to impose own perverted will through violence and coercion”.

Sequel to the events of this ‘Black Day’, through meticulous investigations, irrefutable evidences were collected to legally prosecute the accused involved in the 9th May tragedy, the ISPR added.

“Certain cases were subsequently referred for Field General Court Martial as per law, where they underwent trials following due process” the ISPR said.

On 13 December 2024, a seven-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan directed that the cases pending due to an earlier order of the Supreme Court be finalised and judgements in the cases of those accused found involved in these violent incidents be announced.

In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, Field General Court Martial have in first phase promulgated the punishments to the following 25 accused; “after examining all evidence, affording all legal rights to the accused and completion of due process”.

List of Sentenced Accused

1. Jan Muhammad Khan s/o Toor Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
2. Muhammad Imran Mehboob s/o Mehboob Ahmed, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
3. Raja Muhammad Ehsan s/o Raja Muhammad Maqsood, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in GHQ attack incident.
4. Rehmat Ullah s/o Manjoor Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.
5. Anwar Khan s/o Muhammad Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in PAF Base Mianwali incident.
6. Muhammad Afaq Khan s/o M Ishfaq Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
7. Daud Khan s/o Ameer Zaib, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Chakdara Fort incident.
8. Faheem Haider s/o Farooq Haider, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
9. Zahid Khan s/o Muhammad Khan, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Multan Cantt Check Post incident.
10. Yasir Nawaz s/o Ameer Nawaz Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.
11. Abdul Hadi s/o Abdul Qayyum, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
12. Ali Shan s/o Noor Muhammad, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
13. Daud Khan s/o Shad Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
14. Umar Farooq s/o Muhammad Sabbir, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in GHQ attack incident.
15. Babar Jamal s/o Muhammad Ajmal Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in PAF Base Mianwali incident.
16. Muhammad Hashir Khan s/o Tahir Bashir, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
17. Muhammad Ashiq Khan s/o Naseeb Khan, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
18. Khuram Shahzad s/o Liaqat Ali, 3 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Multan Cantt Check Post incident.
19. Muhammad Bilawal s/o Manzoor Hussain, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
20. Said Alam s/o Maaz Ullah Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.
21. Laeeq Ahmed s/o Manzoor Ahmed, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident.
22. Ali Iftikhar s/o Iftikhar Ahmed, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
23. Zia ur Rehman s/o Azam Khurshid, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
24. Adnan Ahmed s/o Sher Muhammad, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.
25. Shakir Ullah s/o Anwar Shah, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan incident.

Sentences of other accused “shortly”

Promulgation of the sentences of remaining accused is also being done and will be announced shortly as and when the due process is complete, the ISPR added.

“This is an important milestone in dispensation of justice to the nation. It is also a stark reminder to all those who are exploited by the vested interests and fall prey to their political propaganda and intoxicating lies, to never take law in own hands ever in the future,” the Pakistan’s military’s media wing stated.

“Many accused are also being tried in various Anti-Terrorist Courts (ATCs) and their cases are being pursued as per the law, however, justice would truly be fully served once the mastermind and planners of 9th May tragedy are punished as per the Constitution and laws of the land.”

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“State of Pakistan will continue to vigoursly pursue dispensation of justice to ensure establishment of inviolable writ of the State, so as to uproot this evil of violence driven disruptive and destructive politics based on hate, divisiveness and “baseless propaganda”,” the statement added.

All convicts retain the right to appeal and other legal recourses, as guaranteed by the law and the Constitution, the statement concludes.