GUJRANWALA: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Gujranwala has sentenced Naveed, the prime accused in the attack on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan, to life imprisonment under charges of terrorism and the murder of PTI worker Moazzam. Additionally, Naveed was fined Rs 500,000.
According to reports, the ATC announced two separate life sentences, to Naveed, under different charges, including terrorism and murder. In connection with injuries caused to four other individuals during the attack, the court sentenced him to prison terms ranging from three to five years.
Meanwhile, co-accused Tayyab Jahangir Butt and Waqas were acquitted by the court.
Previously, in February 2023, the Gujranwala ATC had approved the bail plea of Ahsan — brother of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) district information secretary — in the same case, while rejecting the bail application of Waqas.
The court had reserved its verdict after hearing the bail applications filed by Ahsan and Waqas, both accused in the firing incident on Imran Khan’s container. Ahsan was released on bail against surety bonds of Rs 500,000, whereas Waqas’ bail plea was dismissed.
It is pertinent to mention that during PTI’s long march in November 2022, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Senator Faisal Javed, and several other PTI leaders were injured after a gunman opened fire in the Wazirabad area of Punjab. One PTI worker, Moazzam, lost his life during the attack.
Following the incident, Imran Khan leveled serious allegations against top government officials, including the federal interior minister, sparking a political controversy over the registration of the First Information Report (FIR). Eventually, the case was filed by the police.
The FIR was registered on November 7, 2022, and a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was formed on November 3, 2022, under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997 to investigate the incident.
