A special court in Rawalpindi sentenced 47 suspects, including top Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, to 10 years imprisonment in the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case. The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) also imposed fines of Rs500,000 on each convict and ordered confiscation of their properties. The verdict comes after the violent May 9, 2023, protests that targeted military installations and government property.
PTI leaders among those sentenced include Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Shahbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari, Muhammad Ahmed Chattha, and Sheikh Rashid Shafique, according to court records. The suspects were found involved in attacks on the GHQ gate, Hamza Camp, and the Army Museum. The court cited the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report confirming their key role in planning the violent protests.
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The court highlighted that the suspects also committed arson, vandalism, attacks on police, and destruction of government property during the unrest. A total of 118 individuals, including PTI founder Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were indicted in the case. Judicial records indicate statements were recorded from 44 witnesses, and formal charge sheets were presented in December 2024.
Out of the 118 named suspects, 18 failed to appear consistently during trial, while 29 did not appear at all. The 47 fugitives were tried separately under the Anti-Terrorism Act after failing to respond to court orders and advertisements issued in January 2026. Despite opportunities to present themselves, none of the absconding accused appeared in court.
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The GHQ attack on May 9, 2023, followed protests against the arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Enraged protesters marched to the military’s central headquarters, damaging property and vandalizing the GHQ gate. The unprecedented incident marked the first time protesters directly reached Pakistan’s military headquarters during a public demonstration, triggering nationwide attention.