Published on, Aug. 19 -- August 19, 2025 1:22 PM

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge on Monday declared that the May 9 violence did not meet international standards of a peaceful protest, describing it as coordinated attacks on state and military sites.

Judge Manzer Ali Gill, delivering the detailed judgment in the Rahat Bakery case, said evidence revealed that political leaders were involved in planning attacks following the arrest of PTI's founding chairman, Imran Khan.

PTI leaders Omer Sarfraz Cheema, Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, and others were each handed 10-year jail sentences. The court clarified that peaceful protesting is legal, but violence transforms it into a criminal act.

The judge emphasized...