May 9 Protests: Hassan Niazi, Javed Akram and Ibad Farooq Convicted

Isalamabad (Dawn.com bbc.com Agencies)

The Pakistan Army has announced that military courts have convicted 60 individuals involved in the 9 May attacks on military installations.

Among those sentenced are prominent PTI figures, including Imran Khan’s nephew Hassan Niazi Advocate, Brigadier (retd) Javed Akram and Ibad Farooq.

Hassan Niazi is sentenced to ten years, Brigadier (retd) Javed Akram to six years, and Ibad Farooq to two years.

There has been considerable discussion about these three leaders on social media. Let’s explore more details about them.

Who is Hassan Khan Niazi Advocate?

Hassan Khan Niazi is the nephew of Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Before his arrest during the May 9 attacks, he served as Imran Khan’s focal person for legal affairs.

He holds a law degree and was an active member of the PTI’s Justice Student Federation and the lawyers’ organization supporting PTI, before the party came to power.

As a lawyer, he handled cases related to human rights in the country. His father, Hafeezullah Niazi, is a political analyst with a distinct presence in Pakistan’s media.

Hassan Khan Niazi is the son of Imran Khan’s sister, Rubina Khanum. He was sentenced to ten years of hard labor by a military court for his involvement in the attack on the Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) in Lahore on May 9, 2023.

He condemned the arrest of Imran Khan in 2023, calling it an attack on the people of Pakistan and an injustice to the country. He declared that the people would stand firm and continue peaceful protests.

Who is Brigadier (retd) Javed Akram?

Brigadier (retd) Javed Akram is from Toba Tek Singh, Punjab. He was PTI’s candidate from the provincial constituency PP 120 in the 2018 elections, but he was not successful.

According to the Punjab Assembly website, he was born on December 4, 1948. He continued serving in various political roles and joined the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) in 2013.

In 2018, he joined PTI and contested the PP 120 seat but was unsuccessful. He was sentenced to six years of hard labor by a military court for his involvement in the attack on the Corps Commander’s House on May 9, 2023.

Who is Mian Ibad Farooq?

Mian Ibad Farooq is a businessman from Lahore and was a PTI ticket holder from the provincial assembly constituency PP 149. He joined PTI in 2018.

In February 2024, his brother Mian Shehzad Farooq contested elections in NA 119, Lahore, against the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Ibad Farooq was arrested during the PTI protests on May 9, 2023, for attacking the Corps Commander’s House.

Before his arrest, he issued a statement on social media blaming PTI’s provincial leadership for the attack.

In the same video, he condemned the incident and announced that he would contest the elections independently, withdrawing his PTI ticket.

In September 2023, reports emerged that during his detention, his nine-year-old son passed away due to health issues, reportedly caused by the psychological trauma of his father’s arrest.

Ibad Farooq was sentenced to two years of hard labor by the military court for his involvement in the attack on Jinnah House on May 9.

Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Barrister Gohar has announced that PTI will file an appeal against the military court’s verdict.

Barrister Gohar further stated that the Supreme Court should make a swift decision regarding the case related to military trials.