Government Welcomes Verdicts in 9 May Cases, Declares it a Victory for Law and Justice

ISLAMABAD:The government has welcomed the recent verdicts in the **9 May** cases, calling them a **victory for the law** and the **justice system**. These decisions came after the **Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC)** in **Faisalabad** sentenced 196 individuals, including prominent **PTI leaders** such as **Omar Ayub**, **Shibli Faraz**, and **Zartaj Gul**, for their involvement in the events of 9 May.

In its ruling, the court handed **10 years of imprisonment** to **Omar Ayub**, **Shibli Faraz**, and **Zartaj Gul**, along with **10 years for MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza**. The **lowest sentence** of **3 years** was given to **Junaid Afzal Sahi**. The court’s decision was seen as a crucial step in addressing the violence that occurred during the **9 May protests**.

The **Federal Minister for Information**, **Ateeq Tarar**, praised the verdicts, stating that the actions of **9 May**, including the desecration of **martyrs’ memorials** and attacks on **defense institutions**, were a direct assault on the state. He remarked that **videos** showed clear evidence of the perpetrators, and it was evident that the mastermind behind these actions was **Imran Khan**, the founder of PTI, who is currently imprisoned.

Minister Tarar also made it clear that **Pakistan** had responded decisively whenever the enemy sought to undermine the state, and what happened on **9 May** was even worse than any attack from external enemies. “No one will dare to repeat such heinous acts in the future,” he added.

Meanwhile, **PTI** has announced its intention to **challenge the judicial decisions** against their leaders and workers, maintaining that these verdicts are politically motivated.