An anti-terrorism court in Sargodha on Tuesday sentenced Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Ahmed Khan Bachar, MNA Mohammad Ahmed Chattha, and several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers to 10 years in prison for their involvement in the May 9 riots. The sentencing, related to vandalism and riots sparked by PTI’s founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest in a corruption case, comes amid growing legal and political challenges for the party.
Bachar was not present in court when the verdict was delivered. The case, filed in Mianwali, involved 32 accused individuals, including Bachar, who were granted exemption from personally appearing in court.
This verdict further deepens the legal troubles for PTI, stemming from the violent protests on May 9, 2023, which saw the vandalism of key military installations, including Rawalpindi’s General Headquarters (GHQ), after Khan’s arrest.
