PTI Chairman Condemns May 9 Incident, Criticizes Sentences for Party Leaders

Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, has reiterated the party’s stance against the May 9 violence, stating:
“We have already condemned May 9. It should not have happened and must never happen again.”

In an interview, Gohar confirmed reports about a call made to PTI leader Omar Ayub regarding a possible meeting with the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
“It is true that Omar Ayub received a call to meet the Chief Justice,” he said, adding that Omar was not available at the time.

According to Gohar, “Omar Ayub did not send any message nor did he wish to meet the Chief Justice. The message came from the Chief Justice’s side.” He explained that Omar had written a letter, and perhaps the Chief Justice wanted clarification.

The PTI Chairman strongly criticized recent court decisions related to the May 9 violence, where the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad sentenced Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and 194 others in three separate cases.

“Such justice is unfair. Justice should be visible. This is a grave injustice to democracy and fairness,” said Barrister Gohar.
He added, “In the name of May 9, don’t punish an entire party or derail the whole system. Don’t destroy the political setup.”

Gohar stressed that Omar Ayub, as the opposition leader, has been wrongly punished:
“Omar Ayub is the opposition leader of a major party. There’s nothing wrong if he gets a call. The sentence given to him is absolutely wrong and unjustified.”

On the previous day, the ATC in Faisalabad sentenced 196 accused in three separate May 9 cases. In two of those cases, 168 individuals were given 10-year prison terms. In a third case involving an attack on a sensitive institution, 108 out of 185 accused were convicted, while the rest were acquitted. Another case saw 28 more people sentenced and four acquitted.