A landmark day in Pakistan, Tarar welcomes convictions.
RAWALPINDI – At least 60 more civilians involved in violent attacks on military installations during nationwide May 9, 2023 riots were sentenced by the military courts two to 10 years prison on Thursday. “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 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,” says a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The following 60 culprits were handed down the sentences:
1. Hassan Khan Niazi s/o Hafizullah Niazi, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident. 2. Mian Abbad Farooq s/o Amanat Ali, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
3.Raees Ahmed s/o Shafi Ullah, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
4.Arzam Junaid s/o Junaid Razzaq, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
5.Ali Raza s/o Ghulam Mustafa, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
6.Raja Danish s/o Raja Abdul Waheed, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in GHQ attack incident.
7.Syed Hassan Shah s/o Asif Hussain Shah, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in GHQ attack incident.
8.Ali Hussain s/o Khalil ur Rehman, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in AIMH Rawalpindi attack incident.
9.Zahid Khan s/o Muhammad Nabi, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in PRC Mardan incident.
10.Sohrab Khan s/o Riaz Khan, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident.
11.Brig (Retd) Javed Akram s/o Chaudhary Muhammad Akarm, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
12.Khuram Liaqat s/o Liaqat Ali Shahid, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Multan Cantt Checkpost incident.
13.Zakir Hussain s/o Shah Faisal, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Chakdara Fort incident.
14.Ameen Shah s/o Mashter Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
15.Fahim Sajid s/o Muhammad Khan, 8 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in PAF Base Mianwali incident.
16.Hamza Sharif s/o Muhammad Azam, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident.
17.Muhammad Arslan s/o Muhammad Siraj, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
18.Muhammad Umair s/o Abdul Sattar, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
19.Noman Shah s/o Mehmood Ahmad Shah, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
20.Ikram Ullah s/o Khanzada Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
21.Muhammad Ahmed s/o Muhammad Nazir, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujaranwala incident.
22.Pirzada Mian Muhammad Ishaq Bhutta s/o Pirzada Mian Qamar ud Dind Bhutta, 3 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Multan Cantt Checkpost incident.
23.Muhammad Abdullah s/o Kanwar Ashraf Khan, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in GHQ attack.
24.Amjad Ali s/o Manzoor Ahmed, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident.
25.Muhammad Raheem s/o Naeem Khan, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
26.Ehsan Ullah Khan s/o Najeeb Ullah Khan, 10 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in PAF Base Mianwali incident.
27.Muneeb Ahmed s/o Naveed Ahmed Butt, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujaranwala incident.
28.Muhammad Ali s/o Muhammad Boota, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident.
29.Sami Ullah s/o Meer dad Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
30.Mian Muhammad Akram Usman s/o Mian Muhammad Usman, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
31.Mudassir Hafiz s/o Hafeez Ullah, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
32.Sajjad Ahmed s/o Muhammad Iqbal, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
33.Khizar Hayat s/o Umar Qiyaz Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
34.Muhammad Nawaz s/o Abdul Samad, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujaranwala incident.
35.Muhammad Bilal s/o Muhammad Afzal, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in PAF Base Mianwali incident.
36.Muhammad Suleman s/o Said Ghani Jan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident.
37.Asad Ullah Durani s/o Badshah Zada, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident.
38.Ikram Ullah s/o Shah Zaman, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Chakdara Fort incident.
39.Muhammad Farrukh s/o Shams Tabriz, 5 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident.
40.Waqas Ali s/o Muhammad Ashraf, 6 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
41.Ameer Zohaib s/o Nazeer Ahmed Sheikh, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
42.Farhad Khan s/o Shahid Hussain, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in AIMH Rawalpindi incident.
43.Izzat Khan s/o Awal Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident.
44.Asher Butt s/o Muhammad Arshad Butt, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujaranwala incident.
45.Saqlain Haider s/o Rafiullah Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
46.Muhammad Salman s/o Zahid Nisar, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident.
47.Hamid Ali s/o Syed Hadi Shah, 3 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Multan Cantt Checkpost incident.
48.Muhammad Waqas s/o Malik Muhammad Khalil, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujaranwala incident.
49.Izzat Gul s/o Mirdat Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
50.Haider Majeed s/o Muhammad Majeed, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
51.Gp Capt Viqas Ahmed Mohsin (Retd) s/o Bashir Ahmed Mohsin, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Jinnah House incident.
52.Muhammad Ilyas s/o Muhammad Fazal Haleem, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in HQ Dir Scouts Timergara incident.
53.Muhammad Ayaz s/o Sahibzada Khan, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Main Gate FC Cantt Peshawar incident.
54.Raees Ahmed s/o Khaista Rehman, 4 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Chakdara Fort incident.
55.Gohar Rehman s/o Gul Rehman, 7 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Chakdara Fort incident.
56.Naik Muhammad s/o Nasrullah Jan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
57.Fahad Imran s/o Muhammad Imran Shahid, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in ISI Office Faisalabad incident.
58.Sufayan Idrees s/o Idrees Ahmed, 2 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Rahwali Gate Gujaranwala incident.
59.Raheem Ullah s/o Bait Ullah, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
60.Khalid Nawaz s/o Hamid Khan, 9 years rigorous imprisonment, involved in Bannu Cantt incident.
“The trial of 9th May accused under military custody, has hereby been concluded under the relevant laws,” the ISPR said. “All convicts retain the right to appeal and other legal recourses, as guaranteed by the Constitution and law, it further 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 ISPR said.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Thursday while welcoming the convictions of those involved in May 9 arson underlined the need for military trial of its mastermind and his accomplices. Talking to the media, the minister said the military courts have convicted some 60 individuals involved in the May 9 attacks on Lahore’s Jinnah House, PAF Airbase Mianwali, Qila Chakdara, and other sensitive installations.
“This is a significant step forward, as those responsible for attacking sensitive installations have been brought to justice,” he said, while attributing the attacks to a “nefarious conspiracy masterminded by the PTI founder”.
He declared it a landmark day for Pakistan as justice was served to those who attempted to undermine the nation’s defense institutions. “This will strengthen national security, establish the rule of law, and ensure that no one dares to attack defense installations again for fulfilling the dreams of the enemies,” he added. “This day marks a turning point for Pakistan. Justice has been served, and the rule of law has prevailed. The martyrs can now rest in peace knowing their sacrifices have been honored,” he remarked.
Highlighting the due process of the law followed during the trials, he said the decisions in these cases were not taken in the haste. “The prosecution spent extensive time gathering evidence and ensuring all legal requirements during the trial process,” he explained.
The trials adhered to Pakistan’s constitutional framework and international treaties, he said while stressing on the right to fair trial given to the accused.
“The accused were given opportunities to engage legal counsel of their choice, access court records, and meet their families,” he said, adding the trials were not conducted in absentia.
He said the convicted individuals have two avenues for appeal as they could appeal within the military judicial hierarchy and through writ petitions in high courts.
The minister said there are irrefutable evidence, including video and technical records, demonstrating the involvement of the convicted individuals in vandalism and arson on May 9. “These individuals attacked the Jinnah House, destroyed national symbols, and desecrated the uniforms of our brave soldiers,” he regretted.
He also condemned the burning of an aircraft displayed at the Mianwali Airbase, which had been used by national hero MM Alam. On the occasion, the minister criticised ongoing efforts by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to weaken the nation through foreign lobbying and misinformation campaigns, asserting that these attempts would not succeed.
He said the country is on the path of progress which is also admitted by the PTI founder today in conversation with the media.
