SARGODHA: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Sargodha has sentenced Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Ahmed Khan Bachar and 32 other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers to 10 years in prison each in connection with the May 9 riots, ARY News reported.
The verdict was delivered by ATC Judge Muhammad Naeem Sheikh in a case registered at Musa Khel Police Station. The case related to the violent protests and acts of vandalism that erupted in Mianwali following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan in a corruption case.
According to the court, Bachar and the other accused were found guilty of participating in the violence, which involved attacks on state institutions and public property.
Background: May 9 Violence
Widespread protests broke out across Pakistan on May 9, 2023, after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The unrest spread from major urban centers to remote areas, prompting authorities in Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad to deploy military personnel to restore order.
During the protests, several sensitive sites were targeted, including army installations such as the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore. Imran Khan is listed as the prime accused in all cases related to the May 9 violence.
Political Fallout in Punjab Assembly
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The court’s decision comes amid rising political tensions in the Punjab Assembly. On June 27, 2025, opposition MPAs were accused of causing a ruckus and damaging property during a session. In response, Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan suspended the membership of 26 lawmakers from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), which is aligned with PTI.
A day later, on June 28, the speaker announced that the matter would be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for possible disqualification proceedings against the suspended members.
Those suspended include Malik Fahad Masood, Muhammad Tanvir Aslam, Syed Riffat Mehmood, Yasir Mehmood Qureshi, Kalimullah Khan, Muhammad Ansar Iqbal, Ali Asif, Zulfiqar Ali, Ahmed Mujtaba Chaudhry, Shahid Javed, Muhammad Ismail, Khayal Ahmed, Shehbaz Ahmed, Tayyab Rashid, Imtiaz Mehmood, Ali Imtiaz, Rashid Tufail, Murtaza Iqbal, Khalid Zubair, Ijaz Shafi, Saima Kanwal, Muhammad Naeem, Sajjad Ahmed, Rana Aurangzeb, Shoaib Mir, and Usama Asghar Ali Gujjar.
The sentencing of Ahmed Khan Bachar and others further intensifies the legal and political pressure on PTI and its allies, as the fallout from the May 9 events continues to reverberate across the country’s political landscape.