On Thursday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced that the mercy petitions of 19 convicts involved in the May 9 cases had been accepted on humanitarian grounds. This move follows a significant development that took place after military courts sentenced a total of 85 civilians for their roles in the May 9 riots of 2023. On December 21, 2023, military courts sentenced 25 civilians to prison terms ranging from two to 10 years over the May 9 events. A week later, another 60 civilians were handed similar jail terms for their involvement in the nationwide riots.
The ISPR statement clarified that these convicts had exercised their right to appeal, requesting mercy and remission of their punishments. A total of 67 convicts submitted mercy petitions, of which 48 petitions were processed to the Courts of Appeal. Meanwhile, the petitions of 19 convicts were accepted, “purely on humanitarian grounds, under the law.” The mercy petitions of the remaining convicts will be decided in due course, following the legal process.
The convicts whose sentences were remitted include the following individuals, each of whom was originally sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in various incidents across the country on May 9, 2023:
- Muhammad Ayaz (Main Gate FC Cantt Peshawar)
- Sami Ullah (Bannu Cantt incident)
- Laeeq Ahmed (ISI Office Faisalabad)
- Amjad Ali (ISI Office Faisalabad)
- Yasir Nawaz (Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan)
- Said Alam (Punjab Regimental Centre Mardan)
- Zahid Khan (PRC Mardan incident)
- Muhammad Suleman (HQ Dir Scouts Timergara)
- Hamza Sharif (ISI Office Faisalabad)
- Muhammad Salman (ISI Office Faisalabad)
- Asher Butt (Rahwali Gate Gujranwala)
- Muhammad Waqas (Rahwali Gate Gujranwala)
- Sufayan Idrees (Rahwali Gate Gujranwala)
- Muneeb Ahmed (Rahwali Gate Gujranwala)
- Muhammad Ahmed (Rahwali Gate Gujranwala)
- Muhammad Nawaz (Rahwali Gate Gujranwala)
- Muhammad Ali (ISI Office Faisalabad)
- Muhammad Bilawal (Jinnah House incident)
- Muhammad Ilyas (HQ Dir Scouts Timergara)
The ISPR statement noted that these convicts would be released after completing the necessary procedural formalities. Furthermore, all those convicted still retain their right to appeal and other legal remedies, as guaranteed by the law and constitution.
The remission of punishments is seen as a testament to the strength of due process and fairness, ensuring that justice is served while considering the principles of compassion and mercy. In the past, on April 2024, a separate batch of 20 convicts from the May 9 riots, who had served a major portion of their sentences, were also pardoned on humanitarian grounds, marking another step in the application of leniency in these cases.
Background on the May 9 Riots:
The May 9, 2023, riots were triggered by the brief arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan. Violent protests erupted across the country, leading to the loss of at least 10 lives and hundreds of injuries. The protests also resulted in the damage of approximately 40 public buildings and military installations, including high-profile sites like the Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House), Askari Tower in Lahore, General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Office in Faisalabad, and many others. In total, 62 outbreaks of violence were reported, leading to an estimated Rs2.5 billion in damages, with the military suffering losses of Rs1.98 billion.
The military believes that the riots were a coordinated attack orchestrated by the PTI leadership, with public buildings and military installations being prime targets. In its widely praised verdict, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that the military trials of 103 civilians involved in the riots were null and void, directing that these cases be tried in civilian courts. However, the Supreme Court conditionally suspended its ruling on December 13, 2023, pending a final judgment, allowing military courts to proceed with trials under certain conditions.
The remission of sentences reflects the army’s ongoing commitment to maintaining fairness while ensuring justice in a complex and sensitive case, emphasizing mercy and humanitarian considerations.
