A court sentenced journalists in absentia for their alleged links to violent riots that followed the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in May 2023.
Published January 2, 2026
A Pakistani court has sentenced several journalists and social media commentators convicted of inciting violence in the 2023 riots related to the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to life in prison.
Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Shipra announced the verdict in the capital, Islamabad, on Friday after a trial held in absentia.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
Those convicted include Adil Raja, a former army officer turned YouTuber, and Syed Akbar Hussain. According to the court’s ruling, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakil and Shaheen Sebai, commentator Haider Raza Mehdi and analyst Moeed Pirzada.
None of the defendants appeared in court, as they had left Pakistan and lived abroad in recent years to avoid arrest.
The conviction stems from a case registered after a riot in May 2023 in which some of Mr. Khan’s supporters attacked military installations and government assets following a brief arrest in a corruption case.
Since then, Pakistan’s government and military have launched a sweeping crackdown on Mr. Khan’s party and opposition voices, using anti-terrorism laws and military courts to prosecute hundreds of people on charges of incitement and attacks on state institutions.
The Committee to Protect Journalists announced in 2023 that the investigation amounted to retaliation for critical reporting.
“Authorities must immediately halt these investigations and stop their relentless intimidation and censorship of the media,” said Bae Li Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator.
Sabir Shakil, a journalist who hosted a popular TV show on ARY TV before leaving Pakistan, told The Associated Press on Friday that he was aware of his conviction.
He said he was not in the country when police charged him with inciting mob violence.
“The sentences against me and others are nothing but political damage,” Shakir told The Associated Press.
Under Friday’s court order, those convicted have the right to appeal within seven days.
The court also directed the police to arrest him if he returns to Pakistan and transfer him to jail.
