Pakistan Court Hands Life Terms To 7, Including Journalists & Ex-Army Officers, Over 2023 Riots
An Islamabad court in Pakistan sentenced seven individuals to life imprisonment after convicting them of inciting violence during 2023 riots and spreading hatred against state institutions. The ruling was delivered by anti-terrorism court judge Tahir Abbas Sipra in Islamabad.
None of the convicted were present in court when the verdict was announced, as all seven had fled Pakistan and are currently living abroad to evade arrest. Those sentenced include former editor Shaheen Sehbai; journalists Sabir Shakir and Moeed Pirzada; YouTubers Wajahat Saeed Khan and Haider Raza Mehdi; and retired army officers Adil Raja and Akbar Hussain.
The charges against the seven stem from the violent unrest that erupted in May 2023 following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a corruption case. Supporters of Khan flooded the streets, vandalising government property across Pakistan. The state-run Radio Pakistan building sustained damage during the protests, and the residence of a senior army officer was ransacked.
