Pakistan jails 100 members of ex-PM Khan's party

6 days ago

A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced more than 100 members of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party to prison terms on charges related to riots that targeted military sites in 2023, a court order said.
Fifty-eight of the defendants, who included parliamentarians and senior officials, were sentenced to 10 years in prison and the rest were given sentences ranging from one to three years, the court said on Thursday.
The accused include Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz, the leaders of Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) in the lower and upper houses of parliament respectively, the court order seen by Reuters read.
"The prosecution has proved its case against the accused without a shadow of doubt," it said in announcing the sentences.
Khan, who has been in prison since 2023 facing charges of corruption, land fraud and disclosure of official secrets, is being tried separately on similar charges related to the riot.
The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.
He denies wrongdoing and says all the cases are politically motivated as part of a military-backed crackdown to dismantle his party. The military denies it.
Khan's arrest had prompted the countrywide violent protests.
Thursday's ruling does not directly affect the incitement case against him in which prosecution is still presenting witnesses.
The PTI party said it will challenge the verdict.
The ruling is the third such mass conviction this month; Khan's party says they have included at least 14 of its parliamentarians.
They will lose their seats in parliament under Pakistani laws, which will shred Khan's opposition party's strength.
Another 77 were acquitted for lack of evidence in the latest verdict, which is linked to an attack on the office of an intelligence agency in eastern city of Faisalabad, the court said.
The party plans new protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of Khan's jailing, to demand his release.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced more than 100 members of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party to prison terms on charges related to riots that targeted military sites in 2023, a court order said.
Fifty-eight of the defendants, who included parliamentarians and senior officials, were sentenced to 10 years in prison and the rest were given sentences ranging from one to three years, the court said on Thursday.
The accused include Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz, the leaders of Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) in the lower and upper houses of parliament respectively, the court order seen by Reuters read.
"The prosecution has proved its case against the accused without a shadow of doubt," it said in announcing the sentences.
Khan, who has been in prison since 2023 facing charges of corruption, land fraud and disclosure of official secrets, is being tried separately on similar charges related to the riot.
The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.
He denies wrongdoing and says all the cases are politically motivated as part of a military-backed crackdown to dismantle his party. The military denies it.
Khan's arrest had prompted the countrywide violent protests.
Thursday's ruling does not directly affect the incitement case against him in which prosecution is still presenting witnesses.
The PTI party said it will challenge the verdict.
The ruling is the third such mass conviction this month; Khan's party says they have included at least 14 of its parliamentarians.
They will lose their seats in parliament under Pakistani laws, which will shred Khan's opposition party's strength.
Another 77 were acquitted for lack of evidence in the latest verdict, which is linked to an attack on the office of an intelligence agency in eastern city of Faisalabad, the court said.
The party plans new protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of Khan's jailing, to demand his release.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced more than 100 members of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party to prison terms on charges related to riots that targeted military sites in 2023, a court order said.
Fifty-eight of the defendants, who included parliamentarians and senior officials, were sentenced to 10 years in prison and the rest were given sentences ranging from one to three years, the court said on Thursday.
The accused include Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz, the leaders of Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) in the lower and upper houses of parliament respectively, the court order seen by Reuters read.
"The prosecution has proved its case against the accused without a shadow of doubt," it said in announcing the sentences.
Khan, who has been in prison since 2023 facing charges of corruption, land fraud and disclosure of official secrets, is being tried separately on similar charges related to the riot.
The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.
He denies wrongdoing and says all the cases are politically motivated as part of a military-backed crackdown to dismantle his party. The military denies it.
Khan's arrest had prompted the countrywide violent protests.
Thursday's ruling does not directly affect the incitement case against him in which prosecution is still presenting witnesses.
The PTI party said it will challenge the verdict.
The ruling is the third such mass conviction this month; Khan's party says they have included at least 14 of its parliamentarians.
They will lose their seats in parliament under Pakistani laws, which will shred Khan's opposition party's strength.
Another 77 were acquitted for lack of evidence in the latest verdict, which is linked to an attack on the office of an intelligence agency in eastern city of Faisalabad, the court said.
The party plans new protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of Khan's jailing, to demand his release.
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has sentenced more than 100 members of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party to prison terms on charges related to riots that targeted military sites in 2023, a court order said.
Fifty-eight of the defendants, who included parliamentarians and senior officials, were sentenced to 10 years in prison and the rest were given sentences ranging from one to three years, the court said on Thursday.
The accused include Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz, the leaders of Khan's opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) in the lower and upper houses of parliament respectively, the court order seen by Reuters read.
"The prosecution has proved its case against the accused without a shadow of doubt," it said in announcing the sentences.
Khan, who has been in prison since 2023 facing charges of corruption, land fraud and disclosure of official secrets, is being tried separately on similar charges related to the riot.
The government accuses him and other leaders of inciting the May 9, 2023, protests, during which demonstrators attacked military and government buildings, including the army headquarters in Rawalpindi.
He denies wrongdoing and says all the cases are politically motivated as part of a military-backed crackdown to dismantle his party. The military denies it.
Khan's arrest had prompted the countrywide violent protests.
Thursday's ruling does not directly affect the incitement case against him in which prosecution is still presenting witnesses.
The PTI party said it will challenge the verdict.
The ruling is the third such mass conviction this month; Khan's party says they have included at least 14 of its parliamentarians.
They will lose their seats in parliament under Pakistani laws, which will shred Khan's opposition party's strength.
Another 77 were acquitted for lack of evidence in the latest verdict, which is linked to an attack on the office of an intelligence agency in eastern city of Faisalabad, the court said.
The party plans new protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of Khan's jailing, to demand his release.

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Ghana chopper crash kills two ministers and six others

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2 hours ago

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Ghana chopper crash kills two ministers and six others

A helicopter crash in Ghana, has killed eight people including the West African nation's defence and environment ministers, the government says. The military says the helicopter took off on Wednesday morning from the capital, Accra, toward Obuasi, a gold-mining area in the Ashanti region, but went off the radar. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were killed alongside the vice-chair of the National Democratic Congress ruling party, a top national security adviser and crew members. State media said the Z-9 helicopter is often used as a utility helicopter often used for transport and medical evacuation. Ghana's government described the crash as a "national tragedy". Wednesday's crash was one of Ghana's worst air disasters in more than a decade. In May 2014, a service helicopter crashed off the coast, killing at least three people. In 2021, a cargo plane overran the runway in Accra and crashed into a bus full of passengers, killing at least 10 people. Like other coastal West African countries, Ghana faces threats from Islamist groups active in the Sahel that have tried to push south from landlocked Burkina Faso and Mali where they stage frequent deadly attacks. With Reuters A helicopter crash in Ghana, has killed eight people including the West African nation's defence and environment ministers, the government says. The military says the helicopter took off on Wednesday morning from the capital, Accra, toward Obuasi, a gold-mining area in the Ashanti region, but went off the radar. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were killed alongside the vice-chair of the National Democratic Congress ruling party, a top national security adviser and crew members. State media said the Z-9 helicopter is often used as a utility helicopter often used for transport and medical evacuation. Ghana's government described the crash as a "national tragedy". Wednesday's crash was one of Ghana's worst air disasters in more than a decade. In May 2014, a service helicopter crashed off the coast, killing at least three people. In 2021, a cargo plane overran the runway in Accra and crashed into a bus full of passengers, killing at least 10 people. Like other coastal West African countries, Ghana faces threats from Islamist groups active in the Sahel that have tried to push south from landlocked Burkina Faso and Mali where they stage frequent deadly attacks. With Reuters A helicopter crash in Ghana, has killed eight people including the West African nation's defence and environment ministers, the government says. The military says the helicopter took off on Wednesday morning from the capital, Accra, toward Obuasi, a gold-mining area in the Ashanti region, but went off the radar. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were killed alongside the vice-chair of the National Democratic Congress ruling party, a top national security adviser and crew members. State media said the Z-9 helicopter is often used as a utility helicopter often used for transport and medical evacuation. Ghana's government described the crash as a "national tragedy". Wednesday's crash was one of Ghana's worst air disasters in more than a decade. In May 2014, a service helicopter crashed off the coast, killing at least three people. In 2021, a cargo plane overran the runway in Accra and crashed into a bus full of passengers, killing at least 10 people. Like other coastal West African countries, Ghana faces threats from Islamist groups active in the Sahel that have tried to push south from landlocked Burkina Faso and Mali where they stage frequent deadly attacks. With Reuters A helicopter crash in Ghana, has killed eight people including the West African nation's defence and environment ministers, the government says. The military says the helicopter took off on Wednesday morning from the capital, Accra, toward Obuasi, a gold-mining area in the Ashanti region, but went off the radar. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah and Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed were killed alongside the vice-chair of the National Democratic Congress ruling party, a top national security adviser and crew members. State media said the Z-9 helicopter is often used as a utility helicopter often used for transport and medical evacuation. Ghana's government described the crash as a "national tragedy". Wednesday's crash was one of Ghana's worst air disasters in more than a decade. In May 2014, a service helicopter crashed off the coast, killing at least three people. In 2021, a cargo plane overran the runway in Accra and crashed into a bus full of passengers, killing at least 10 people. Like other coastal West African countries, Ghana faces threats from Islamist groups active in the Sahel that have tried to push south from landlocked Burkina Faso and Mali where they stage frequent deadly attacks. With Reuters