More than three dozen members and supporters of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Bhachar, were sentenced to 10 years in prison by anti-terrorism courts yesterday.

The convictions in Lahore and Sargodha are for involvement in anti-government riots that erupted after Khan's initial arrest in May 2023. Those sentenced include sitting and former lawmakers. Notably, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was acquitted.

The PTI vows to challenge these verdicts in higher courts, calling the trials "political spectacles" with "procedural impropriety." Khan himself has been jailed since August 2023 on what his party claims are politically motivated charges, and a UN panel previously found his detention to be without legal basis.