Pakistan jails more than 100 members of ex-PM Imran Khan's party for riots
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, a court order said.
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 prosecution has proved its case against the accused without a shadow of doubt," the court 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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan police arrest more than 150 protesters demanding ex-PM Khan's release
Police in Pakistan arrested more than 150 activists of the main opposition party holding protests across the country on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the jailing of their leader Imran Khan, security officials and police said. Nearly 120 arrests were made during raids overnight and early Tuesday, with the remainder occurring during protests in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, they said. "Free Imran Khan!" chanted around 200 supporters of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party outside a Lahore courthouse, while smaller groups staged protests across the city. Deputy Inspector General of police Faisal Kamran told Reuters nearly three dozen activists attempting to block roads were among those arrested. Party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari claimed over 200 activists were detained in Lahore alone. "Down with the government!" shouted a group of PTI women supporters rallying in Quetta, while hundreds of activists in Karachi held demonstrations on bikes, rickshaws, and other vehicles, carrying Khan's posters and party flags. Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi remained quiet, with heavy police deployments on main roads. Videos shared by PTI's media wing showed demonstrations in various locations, though Reuters could not independently verify their authenticity. Uzma Bukhari, a spokesperson for Punjab's provincial government, labelled PTI a terrorist organisation, which the party's spokesperson denied. Khan calls on supporters In a message attributed to Khan on his party's X account on Monday, he urged supporters to "come out and hold peaceful protests until a true democracy is restored". The former cricket star was elected prime minister in 2018 but once in office, he fell out with the powerful military and was ousted in 2022 by parliament. His arrest in May 2023 sparked protests against the military nationwide, leading to a crackdown on the party. Khan denies any wrongdoing and has dismissed as politically motivated the dozens of cases against him, ranging from terrorism to disclosure of official secrets. He was convicted in January in a corruption case, but was acquitted of other charges or received suspended sentences. Hundreds of Khan's party members including several parliamentarians were convicted late last month on charges related to the 2023 protests against his arrest. By law, nine of the parliamentarians were disqualified on Tuesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan said. Khan's party emerged as the single biggest in the 2024 election, and it says that vote rigging robbed it of more seats. Other parties joined forces to form a government under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who denies coming to power through electoral fraud.
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Le Monde publishes new details of campaign against Karim Khan and ICC
French newspaper Le Monde has reported extensive details of an intensifying intimidation campaign targeting the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Karim Khan. The campaign has taken place against the backdrop of Khan's efforts to build and pursue a case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and other Israeli officials over alleged war crimes. Khan went on leave in mid-May after an attempt to suspend him, prompted by a senior member of his own office, failed. This was amid an ongoing United Nations investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against the prosecutor. In a story published on Friday, the French newspaper quoted British barrister Andrew Cayley, who oversaw the ICC's Palestine investigation, saying Dutch intelligence informed him that he was at risk in The Hague. Cayley said that in December 2024 he was directly threatened: "I was told I was an enemy of Israel and that I should watch my back." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Cayley told the Observer in June that he left his role earlier this year fearing US sanctions, and that the pressure severely affected his health. Le Monde reported on the role allegedly played in the proceedings by Thomas Lynch, a senior legal adviser at the ICC and longstanding friend and colleague of Khan and his wife. Khan had tasked Lynch, who worked in his office as his special assistant, with liaising with Israel on the Palestine investigation. According to Le Monde, in May 2024 Lynch suggested that Khan organise a dinner in Jerusalem with prominent lawyer Alan Dershowitz. The plan was that Netanyahu himself would join them in the middle of the meal. The newspaper reported that Khan described this as "a remake of Oliver Twist... Netanyahu and I eating roast turkey in front of the hungry Gazans! It's a dangerous idea!" Le Monde reported that an anonymous source in the ICC said Lynch tried to sabotage Khan's pursuit of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. The source told Le Monde that Lynch "openly said that for him Palestine is not a state, that Israel is not a party to the Court, and that the office should not investigate it". The source further alleged that Lynch referred sexual harassment allegations against Khan to investigators "to get rid of the prosecutor" and "hijack the process" of applying for arrest warrants. Le Monde reported that a note written by Lynch was the source of press reports about the misconduct allegations against Khan in October 2024. Lynch told Le Monde that the reports in its story were "false and misleading". Cameron's threatening phone call Le Monde also reported that on 23 April 2024, then-British Foreign Secretary David Cameron threatened Khan in a phone call that Britain would withdraw from the ICC if the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. In June, MEE first revealed details of the call based on information from a number of sources - including former staff in Khan's office familiar with the conversation and who have seen the minutes of the meeting. Cameron told Khan that applying for warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant would be like dropping "a hydrogen bomb", Le Monde reported. He threatened that the UK would "withdraw from the ICC's founding treaty", the Rome Statute, "if Karim Khan followed through with his intentions". Exclusive: David Cameron threatened to withdraw UK from ICC over Israel war crimes probe Read More » In June, Cameron did not respond to MEE's requests for comment and the British foreign office declined to comment. Le Monde also reported on a meeting on 1 May this year between Khan and British-Israeli ICC lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, which was first revealed by MEE last month. Le Monde cited a "report of the meeting" which said Kaufman told Khan that if ICC arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant were not dropped, he and the ICC would be destroyed. Kaufman told Khan he had spoken to Netanyahu's legal adviser Roy Schondorf and offered Khan a way out, Le Monde reported. Khan, Kaufman suggested, should reclassify the arrest warrants as confidential. This would allow Israel to challenge them in private. In response to questions from MEE in July, Kaufman denied threatening Khan. He denied having been authorised to make any proposals on behalf of the Israeli government and said he had shared his personal views with Khan on the Palestine situation. Kaufman told Le Monde he "did not dispute the meeting", but said he was looking to help Khan "get out of his mistakes". Intensifying intimidation campaign The meeting came less than two weeks before allegations of sexual assault against Khan, which he has strenuously denied, were first published, and as he was reportedly preparing to seek arrest warrants for more members of the Israeli government. There is no suggestion of any connection between the Kaufman-Khan meeting and the publication of the allegations. Khan went on indefinite leave shortly afterwards. Exclusive: How Karim Khan's Israel war crimes probe was derailed by threats, leaks and sex claims Read More » Le Monde quoted Cuno Tarfusser, a former ICC judge, who said Khan going on leave was a "coup d'état". Tarfusser described the ongoing UN investigation into misconduct allegations against Khan as an "irregular procedure", "tailor-made" and conducted with a "disregard for confidentiality". On Friday MEE published extraordinary details of the intimidation campaign targeting Khan, which has involved threats and warnings directed at Khan by prominent figures, close colleagues and family friends briefing against him, fears for the prosecutor's safety prompted by a Mossad team in The Hague, and media leaks about sexual assault allegations. MEE reported details of Lynch's role in the process by which Khan was forced on leave. Lynch triggered the initial investigation by the ICC's Internal Oversight Mechanism (IOM) into harassment allegations against Khan in May 2024, after Khan told him to follow the established procedures. On 4 May, just after the investigation was launched, Khan's wife Shyamala Alagendra met up with Lynch. According to the material reviewed by MEE, Lynch privately expressed his own doubts about the allegations and said their timing was 'suspicious'. ICC lawyer linked to Netanyahu advisor warned Khan to drop war crimes probe or be 'destroyed' Read More » But following the publication in May this year of the sexual assault allegations against Khan, Lynch approached the ICC's presidency in a bid to have the prosecutor suspended. Lynch urged the presidency to start a process by which ICC member states could vote to formally suspend Khan. When this attempt failed, Lynch approached the two deputies and urged them to make the same case to the presidency. This followed leaked reports that Khan was preparing to request arrest warrants for more Israeli officials. It was amid this internal turmoil that the decision was made that Khan should step away on leave while the investigation continued. Lynch told MEE: "As you are aware, there is an ongoing confidential investigation into this matter that limits my right to reply." He said questions put to him by MEE were "false and misleading". Sanctions and pressure Since being subjected to sanctions by the US in February, Khan has had his American visa revoked, and his wife and children have been banned from travelling to the country. His bank accounts have also been frozen and his credit cards cancelled in the UK. At present, the progress and future direction of the ICC's investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes rests with Khan's deputies, pending the outcome of the ongoing OIOS investigation. On 27 May, the Wall Street Journal reported that just before he took leave, the prosecutor had been preparing to seek new warrants for Smotrich and Ben Gvir, Netanyahu's key far-right allies in his coalition government, over their roles in expanding illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Whether or not those applications have been filed is no longer public knowledge after the court recently ordered that any further warrants cannot be publicised. But the pressure on both the prosecutor's office and the court itself has continued to build, with US sanctions on four ICC judges on 8 June. In a further threat to the court last month, US State Department legal adviser Reed Rubinstein warned that "all options remain on the table" unless all arrest warrants and the investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes are dropped.
Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Karim Khan investigation: Former ICC judges criticise handling of complaint against prosecutor
Former judges at the International Criminal Court have criticised the court's oversight body over its handling of an ongoing investigation into a complaint of alleged sexual misconduct brought against the court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan. Speaking to Middle East Eye, two former judges at the court said they were gravely concerned by the way in which Khan had been publicly identified as the subject of a complaint, and questioned the need for an external investigation into his alleged misconduct. Cuno Tarfusser, an Italian judge who worked at the court from 2009 to 2019, told MEE: "I am deeply disturbed, even scandalised, by the way the proceedings against Karim Khan seem to be unfolding." Another former judge, speaking on condition of anonymity, told MEE he feared that a lack of due process had taken the investigation into 'bandit country' in which 'anything can happen'. The investigation by the United Nations' Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was commissioned by Paivi Kaukoranta, the President of the Assembly of State Parties, the ICC's oversight body, after details of a sexual misconduct complaint against Khan were leaked to the media in October. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Khan was publicly identified by Kaukoranta as the subject of a complaint, even though the ICC's own investigative body, the Internal Oversight Mechanism (IOM), had closed two investigations of its own, without publicly naming the chief prosecutor, after the complainant, a female ICC staff member, declined to cooperate. Announcing the OIOS inquiry the next month, Kaukoranta said the IOM had investigated the complaint against Khan on the basis of requests by a third party and by Khan himself, and acknowledged the IOM was 'competent to investigate such allegations'. Exclusive: How Karim Khan's Israel war crimes probe was derailed by threats, leaks and sex claims Read More » But she said that 'the particular circumstances of the case, including the IOM's victim-centred approach, and perceptions of possible and future conflicts of interest' had led her to seek an external investigation. Both judges told MEE they believed Khan had been denied due process and the right to privacy in being named by Kaukoranta and by her decision to outsource the investigation to the OIOS. The former judge said it was his view that Khan should not have been publicly identified before the investigation was completed, commenting: "It's a genie that you can't put back in the bottle." Tarfusser told MEE the investigation appeared to have been 'tailored' for Khan. 'It is unprecedented and a shame within an institution based on the rule of law that a personalised proceeding is created just for Karim Khan,' he said. 'This, far from being decisive, threatens to permanently damage the credibility of the court itself. This way of doing things, these procedures, are known to autocratic states, not to states or institutions based on legality and law.' The other former judge said he was concerned that the handling of the complaint would erode trust in the court's procedures. He said it could discourage future complainants from coming forward because of a lack of confidence that their complaint would be dealt with correctly. Cuno Tarfusser told MEE he was "scandalised" by how the investigation into Khan had unfolded (ICC/Flickr) 'It damages the whole structure of the complaints procedure,' he said. The complaint against Khan is based on allegations of sexual misconduct made by a female ICC staff member, but was initially reported to the IOM by a member of Khan's office rather than the complainant herself. Khan, who has been chief prosecutor at the ICC since 2021, has strenuously denied all of the allegations against him. He is understood to have been interviewed by OIOS investigators in early May and to have cooperated with the investigation. Khan was forced to step away on leave later in May following the publication of new allegations against him, including claims that he had sexually assaulted the complainant on a number of occasions over a period of almost a year. Khan's lawyers said in a statement at the time: "Our client has decided to take a period of leave, not least as the wildly inaccurate and speculative media focus on the matter is detracting from his ability properly to focus on his job. 'Our client remains the Prosecutor, has not stepped down and has no intention of doing so.' But new questions about the investigation into Khan were raised this week after MEE revealed details of a pressure campaign exerted on the prosecutor which sought to derail his investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. MEE reported that an initial complaint of sexual harassment was made against Khan in May 2024 as he was in the final stages of preparing to apply to the court for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then-defence minister, Yoav Gallant. The allegations re-emerged in October 2024, as the ICC was preparing to issue the warrants, when details of the initial complaint were circulated to journalists and on social media. It was these allegations which prompted the ASP to commission the OIOS investigation. Then, in May this year, reports that Khan was accused of sexual assault, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal, broke just as Khan was reported to be seeking further arrest warrants for Israeli officials. The complainant told MEE that her complaint had 'nothing whatsoever to do with the Court's investigation into Palestine', and said she is not affiliated with, or acting on behalf of, any state or external actor. She said any suggestion that her complaint was politically motivated is 'highly inappropriate… offensive and unfounded'. She said she continued to support all investigations under the ICC's jurisdiction. French newspaper Le Monde on Friday also published details of a campaign against Khan and others working at the court. It quoted British lawyer Andrew Cayley, who oversaw the ICC's Palestine investigation, as saying that he had been told by Dutch intelligence that he was at risk. He said in December he had been directly threatened: "I was told I was an enemy of Israel and that I should watch my back." Cayley quit the court earlier this year after being warned by the British foreign office that he was at risk of being targeted by US sanctions. The judge who spoke on condition of anonymity told MEE the investigation into the complaint against Khan needed to look into allegations of suspected interference in the work of the prosecutor's office. He noted that a lot of people had an interest in damaging the prosecutor and the court, and said judges working at the court had always had to deal with "a political undercurrent from one source or another". Both judges told MEE their concerns were shared by a number of other former and current ICC judges. The court has faced punitive and hostile measures over its investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes. Khan was subjected to US sanctions in February, and the US sanctioned four current ICC judges in June. Speaking last month at a meeting of the ASP, the US State Department legal advisor, Reed Rubinstein, warned the court's oversight body that 'all options are on the table' if the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant are not withdrawn. It remains unclear when the investigation into Khan will be completed and what will happen next. In June, the ASP Presidency announced that the OIOS's final report would be sent for assessment to an external panel of judicial experts to help consideration of 'appropriate next steps'. It said the work of the panel would be conducted on a confidential basis. Asked for comment, the office of the ASP Presidency referred MEE to its public statements about the allegations against Khan and the OIOS investigation. It said the findings of the investigation would be 'handled in a transparent manner' once it was concluded.
