An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi has delivered its verdict in the May 9 attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) case.

Presiding Judge Amjad Ali Shah sentenced 47 declared absconders to 10 years in prison each, along with fines of Rs500,000 per convict.

The court also ordered the confiscation of their assets.

Those convicted include Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz, Hammad Azhar, Kanwal Shauzab, Rashid Shafiq, Shahbaz Gill, Zulfi Bukhari, Muhammad Ahmed Chattha, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Muhammad Murtaza, Shaukat Ali Bhatti, Usman Saeed Basra, and Ijaz Khan Jazi, among others.

According to the court, the convicted individuals were found involved in plotting the May 9 incidents.

The court said a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report declared them as central figures in planning violent protests targeting the GHQ gate, Hamza Camp, and the Army Museum.

The report found that the accused had taken part in arson, vandalism, assaults on police, and the destruction of government property during the May 9 unrest.

The case originally involved 118 individuals, including PTI founder Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, with formal charges filed in December 2024.

Under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a separate trial was conducted for the 47 absconding accused.

The prosecution filed a request for proceedings against them on January 6, 2025, after which the court issued an inquiry.

The 47 absconders were given seven days to surrender in January 2026.

However, despite the court’s orders and public notices, none of the accused appeared in court, prompting it to appoint a state counsel to proceed with the trial.