An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Saturday sentenced in absentia 47 leaders and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to 10 years imprisonment on terrorism charges.

Judge Amjad Ali Shah of the Anti-Terrorism Court-1 in Rawalpindi sentenced the 47 on charges under 21-L of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997. Section 21-L of the ATA, 1997 prohibits a person accused of another offence within the ATA, 1997 from obstructing justice by avoiding arrest or evading participation within an inquiry or investigation. This offence bears a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 10 years. The 47 were also sentenced to pay a fine of rs500,000 ($1,785 USD)

The case stems from the May 9, 2023 riots, on the day of Imran Khan’s arrest. On that day, thousands of protestors stormed the General Headquarters (GHQ) and other military installations, leading to the destruction of property and at the death of at least eight people. More than 4,000 people, including many members of the PTI were arrested in the wake of the protests. The 47 sentenced in this case faced terrorim charges related to the riots. The court alleges that they led a mob of up to 300 people to attack GHQ gate number 1 and pelt military personnel with sticks and petrol bombs.

A total of 118 were accused in the original case, including Imran Khan. Of those, 29 never appeared in court after the case was registered, and 18 were consistently absent during trial. A separate trial was then ordered for the 47 declared absconders. If the accused surrender themselves or are arrested within two months, then they are entitled to a retrial with the possibility of the the conviction being overturned.

The PTI has condemned the sentencing of the 47, calling their prosecution part of a “political vendetta.” The party drew attention to the fact that their legal defense was “handed over to a ‘state counsel’…denying the accused a fair chance to present their case.”

In December 2024, a Pakistani military court sentenced 25 civilians, a move described by Amnesty International as against international law, for their involvement in the May 9th riots. Since Imran Khan’s removal from power by opposition lawmakers in 2022, the Pakistani state has repressed the former Prime Minister’s former political party. The PTI is Pakistan’s largest opposition party, despite former officials from the party being removed from office and prosecuted, Khan has been sentenced to more than 65 years imprisonment in numerous cases, and lawyers with ties to the party being sentenced over social media posts.