ATC awards double life terms to Adil Raja, Sabir Shakir, Moeed Peerzada and others

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Friday sentenced YouTuber Adil Raja, several journalists and a former military officer to two life terms each in separate cases pertaining to May 9, 2023 riots.

Those convicted include journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir and Shaheen Sehbai, anchorperson Haider Raza Mehdi, political analyst Moeed Peerzada and former army official Akbar Hussain. The court proceedings were conducted in absentia.

The cases pertain to the riots that followed the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan, when protests erupted nationwide and several government and military installations were attacked and damaged.

The prosecution said that the accused were involved in carrying out what it described as “digital terrorism” against state institutions by allegedly inciting violence and unrest related to the May 9 events.

The verdicts were announced by Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra after the trials were concluded. Court records show that cases against them were registered at different police stations.

The charges include waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan and criminal conspiracy.

Apart from rigorous imprisonment for life on two counts, the court ordered the convicts to pay Rs500,000 fine for each of the two offences or undergo additional jail term on default.