Pakistan court sentences journalists to life over 2023 pro-Khan protests

Court sentences journalists in absentia over alleged links to violent unrest after ex-PM Imran Khan’s May 2023 arrest.Published On 2 Jan 2026A court in Pakistan has sentenced several journalists and social media commentators to life imprisonment after convicting them of inciting violence during riots in 2023 linked to the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.An anti-terrorism court judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, announced the verdict on Friday in the capital, Islamabad, after completing trials held in absentia.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why is the sale of Pakistan’s national airline stirring a political storm?list 2 of 3How Pakistan’s Asim Munir became Trump’s ‘favourite field marshal’list 3 of 3Handshake in Dhaka: Can India and Pakistan revive ties in 2026?end of listThe convicted include former army officers-turned YouTubers Adil Raja and Syed Akbar Hussain; journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir and Shaheen Sehbai, commentator Haider Raza Mehdi, and analyst Moeed Pirzada, according to the court’s decision.None of the accused was present in court as they have been living abroad after leaving Pakistan in recent years to avoid arrest.The convictions stem from cases registered after unrest in May 2023 saw some of Khan’s supporters attack military facilities and government property in response to his brief arrest in a corruption case.Since then, the Pakistani government and military have launched a sweeping crackdown on Khan’s party and dissenting voices, using anti-terrorism laws and military trials to prosecute hundreds accused of incitement and attacks on state institutions.The Committee to Protect Journalists said in 2023 that the investigations amounted to retaliation against critical reporting.“Authorities must immediately drop these investigations and cease the relentless intimidation and censorship of the media,” CPJ Asia programme coordinator Beh Lih Yi said.