Pakistan military courts sentence 25 civilians
Pakistan’s military courts have sentenced 25 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years for their involvement in attacks on military installations during the riots that erupted following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in May 2023, the Army announced on Saturday.
On May 9, 2023, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters allegedly attacked several military installations, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi and the ISI building in Faisalabad, to vent their anger against the arrest of their party founder in a corruption case. Hundreds of suspects were arrested in the countrywide swoop and at least 103 were handed over to the military authorities for trial due to their involvement in attacks on military installations.
In a detailed statement, the military said that the nation on May 9 witnessed tragic incidents of “politically provoked violence and arson at multiple places, marking a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan” when building on a sustained narrative of hate and lies, politically orchestrated attacks were carried out on the Army installations and monuments of Shuhada (martyrs).
