A special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Gujranwala on Saturday sentenced the main accused in the assassination attempt on former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan to two separate life terms and a fine of Rs500,000.
The court found the suspect, Naveed, guilty of terrorism and the murder of PTI worker Moazzam during the attack on Khan in Wazirabad in November 2022. In addition to the two life sentences, Naveed was also handed prison terms ranging from three to five years for injuring four other individuals during the incident.
Two other accused in the case, Tayyab Jahangir Butt and Waqas, were acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence.
Earlier in February 2023, the same ATC court had granted bail to another suspect, Ahsan, brother of a local leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), while rejecting the bail plea of co-accused Waqas. Ahsan was released after submitting surety bonds worth Rs500,000.
The case stems from a gun attack during PTI’s long march in Wazirabad on November 3, 2022. The attack left Imran Khan, Senator Faisal Javed, and several others injured, while one PTI supporter, Moazzam, was killed.
Khan later accused senior government officials, including the federal interior minister, of being involved in the plot. The incident led to a political and legal standoff before police formally registered the case.
A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was formed on November 3 under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, and the First Information Report (FIR) was officially filed on November 7.
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