Dhaka, July 31 -- A court in eastern Pakistan has handed 10-year prison sentences to opposition leader Omar Ayub and nearly 200 supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan for their alleged roles in the 2023 riots sparked by Khan's arrest, officials said Thursday.

The verdict, delivered in the city of Faisalabad in Punjab province, covers three separate cases involving 196 individuals. The charges stem from the nationwide violence that broke out on May 9, 2023, following Khan's detention.

Although the unrest eased after Khan's release under a Supreme Court order, a lower court convicted him in August 2023. Since then, he has not been seen in public, and several of his supporters have faced prosecution in military courts.

Amon...