Gofrixty [25 July 2025] – Islamabad: The courts in Pakistan’s Islamabad on Friday have sentenced 13 supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to six months’ imprisonment. These were supporters who had participated in the November 2022 riots in various locations in the capital. The police detained them on charges of damaging property, obstructing roads and refusing to obey Section 144, which prohibits large public gatherings.
The protests were triggered after PTI leaders appealed for nationwide demonstrations against the government decision. Protesters threw stones at police and blocked major roads, and there were reports of damage to government property. Dozens of people, among them the 13 who were sentenced to prison on Thursday, were detained by the police.
As evidence, the police showed video clips, pictures and witness reports at the court hearings. Those showed the protesters holding banners, shouting slogans, and declining to leave when police repeatedly warned them. Some were captured on video hurling stones and breaking vehicles.
Lawyers for those accused argued that the demonstrations had been peaceful and that police had randomly arrested innocent people without evidence. They urged the court to set them free or at least lower the penalty. But the court determined the evidence was unambiguous that they had violated the law and posed a public safety risk.
