A Gujranwala Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday (April 26) sentenced the main accused in the assassination attempt on former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan to two separate life terms, along with a fine of Rs1.5 million.
The incident took place on November 3, 2022, during PTI's long march in Wazirabad, Punjab, when a gunman, Naveed Bashir, opened fire, injuring Imran Khan, Senator Faisal Javed, and several others, and killing one PTI worker. Naveed was arrested on the spot.
Following the attack, Imran Khan accused the then coalition government, including the federal interior minister, of orchestrating the plot. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the City Police Station, Wazirabad, on November 7, and a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was formed under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997.
ATC Judge Muhammad Naeem Saleem announced the verdict, sentencing Naveed to life imprisonment under two separate charges: premeditated murder (Section 302b of the Pakistan Penal Code) and acts of terrorism (Section 7a of the ATA). The court also imposed compensation and fines totaling Rs1.5 million.
Two co-accused, Tayyab Jahangir Butt and Waqas, were acquitted due to lack of evidence. Advocate Imran Abbas Supra stated that the prosecution failed to produce any witnesses against Butt.
According to the warrant of commitment issued to Gujranwala Central Jail’s superintendent, Naveed must pay Rs500,000 as compensation to the legal heirs of the slain PTI worker Moazzam. Failure to pay would result in an additional six months of simple imprisonment.
Furthermore, Naveed received multiple sentences for injuring several individuals during the attack:
- Areeb: 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for attempted murder (Section 324, PPC), 10 years under ATA Sections 7b and 7c, fines totalling Rs200,000, daman (compensation) of Rs100,000, and three years for causing intentional injury (Section 337-Fiii, PPC).
- Meer Umar Farooq: 10 years for attempted murder (Section 324, PPC), 10 years under ATA Sections 7b and 7c, fines totalling Rs200,000, daman of Rs100,000, and five years for causing grievous hurt (Section 337-Fv, PPC).
- Imran Yousaf: 10 years for attempted murder (Section 324, PPC), 10 years under ATA Sections 7b and 7c, fines totalling Rs200,000, daman of Rs100,000, and three years for causing intentional injury (Section 337-Fiii, PPC).
- Muhammad Liaquat: 10 years for attempted murder (Section 324, PPC), 10 years under ATA Sections 7b and 7c, fines totalling Rs200,000, daman of Rs100,000, and three years for causing intentional injury (Section 337-Fiii, PPC).
The court ruled that all sentences would run concurrently. Naveed would also benefit from Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code, allowing the period he spent in pre-trial detention to be considered part of his sentence.
