Lahore, Jan 2 — A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Friday sentenced eight journalists and social media commentators to life imprisonment in absentia after convicting them in cases linked to online content supporting jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
The convictions stem from cases registered following violent protests on May 9, 2023, when Khan’s supporters attacked military installations after his brief arrest. Authorities later launched a broad crackdown on Khan’s party and dissenting voices, invoking anti-terrorism laws to prosecute those accused of incitement and attacks on state institutions.
In its ruling, the court said the actions of the accused “fell within the ambit of terrorism” under Pakistani law and that their online material promoted “fear and unrest” in society.
Court documents showed that most of those convicted are believed to be outside Pakistan and did not appear during the proceedings.
Those sentenced include former army officers-turned YouTubers Adil Raja and Syed Akbar Hussain, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir and Shaheen Sehbai, commentator Haider Raza Mehdi, and political analyst Moeed Pirzada.
Pakistan has relied on anti-terrorism legislation and military trials in recent months to pursue hundreds of cases linked to the May 9 violence, a move that has drawn criticism from rights groups and opposition figures.