ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad has sentenced former army officer Adil Raja, retired Captain Haider Raza Mehdi, and several journalists to multiple life terms after finding them guilty of what the court described as “digital terrorism” linked to the May 9, 2023 riots.
The verdict, announced by ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra, stems from two separate cases registered at the Aabpara and Ramna police stations following widespread unrest triggered by the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan. The disturbances saw mobs attack military and government installations across the country.
Among those convicted are journalists Wajahat Saeed, Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada, and Shaheen Sehbai. The court awarded two life sentences to each of the main accused, along with an additional cumulative sentence of 35 years under other legal provisions. The convicts were also fined a total of Rs1.5 million.
Trial in Absentia and Prosecution Evidence
The proceedings were conducted in absentia after the accused failed to appear before the court or cooperate with investigators. Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain Kiani presented testimony from 24 witnesses, while Advocate Gulfam Goraya was appointed by the court to represent the defence.
According to the judgment, the accused were repeatedly summoned but could not be located at their residences, leading the court to declare them proclaimed offenders. The court noted that international legal practices, including those in the United Kingdom where several of the accused currently reside, permit trials in absentia under certain circumstances.
Court Finds Online Incitement to Violence
In detailed verdicts running over 20 pages each, the ATC concluded that the convicts used vlogs, social media posts, and online broadcasts to provoke public unrest. The court ruled that their content encouraged hostility toward the government and the Pakistan Army and directly called for protests that escalated into violence.
The judgment states that there was no indication the video material presented as evidence had been altered. Instead, it found that the accused knowingly disseminated messages urging people to take to the streets on May 9 and 10, 2023. Specific references were made to content in which protesters were urged to target state and military buildings and to pressure institutions through street agitation.
The court further observed that some of the convicted journalists made allegations against senior military officials, accused state institutions of manipulation, and suggested that political objectives could only be achieved through confrontation and civil disorder.
Background of Key Convicts
Adil Raja, a former Pakistan Army major now based in the United Kingdom, was recently declared a proscribed individual by the federal cabinet under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. He had earlier been convicted under the Army Act for violations of the Official Secrets Act.
Similarly, retired Captain Haider Raza Mehdi was sentenced by a Field General Court Martial in November 2023 on related charges. The journalists named in the ATC verdict are also currently abroad.
Court’s Conclusion
Summing up its findings, the court held that the digital content produced and shared by the accused amounted to a coordinated effort to incite violence and undermine state authority. It ruled that video and social media evidence was sufficient to establish guilt, concluding that both civilians and government officials were targeted through online campaigns that fueled the May 9 unrest.
