IHC Suspends Sentences of 10 Convicts in PTI Protest Case
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has temporarily suspended the sentences of 10 individuals convicted in connection with the protests against the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
The court granted them bail, ordering their release on surety bonds of Rs25,000 each.
A division bench, consisting of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Sardar Ijaz Ishaq Khan, issued the suspension order, overturning the sentences imposed by the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on November 22, 2024. The ATC had sentenced the convicts to a total of five years and 10 months in prison.
The FIR stated that the accused were charged with attacking police officers and setting fire to a police post in Faizabad. However, the IHC’s ruling noted that the case records did not show any of the accused being arrested at the crime scene.
The defense lawyer informed the court that the accused had already been acquitted of terrorism charges and had received lesser sentences instead. The appellants requested the suspension of their sentences, which was opposed by the prosecutor, who cited CTV footage and other evidence used in the trial.
The charge sheet also revealed that five of the ten convicts were Afghan citizens. The court instructed all accused to submit their original identity cards to the deputy registrar for nationality verification. The identity documents of Afghan citizens will be held with the deputy registrar.
Additionally, the court directed all appellants to appear before the court at every hearing as a condition of their bail.
