A Pakistan court has sentenced 108 leaders and activists of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to prison for participating in the massive protests against the military in 2023.
Since August 2023, former prime minister Imran Khan has been imprisoned. Despite his incarceration, he remains immensely popular in Pakistan. He faces over 150 charges, ranging from terrorism to leaking state secrets.
In the latest ruling on Thursday, PTI senior leader and opposition figure Omar Ayub Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Additionally, six PTI parliamentarians have been disqualified from office.
Violent protests erupted nationwide on May 9, 2023, after Imran Khan was arrested while appearing in a court in a corruption case.
His arrest led to major clashes between his supporters and security forces.
Government and military installations were attacked, leaving at least 10 people killed. A crackdown on PTI followed shortly thereafter.
Over the past two years, many PTI leaders have been sentenced to different prison terms. However, the latest rulings are seen as a major blow to the party.
Meanwhile, PTI condemned the verdicts. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the party said: “For the first time in Pakistan’s judicial history, leaders of the opposition in both the National Assembly and the Senate have been punished solely for believing in Imran Khan’s political ideology. This marks a tragic and shameful chapter in the country’s history.”
The party has announced it will continue to fight the verdicts legally.
PTI media adviser Zulfi Bukhari said, “This is a black day for democracy. Punishing opposition leaders one after another is not a sign of a healthy democratic system. It puts Pakistan’s already fragile democracy at even greater risk.”