May 9 riots: 20 convicts freed after reprieve allowed by army chief

• COAS grants special relaxation to 20 May 9 convicts.
• AGP Mansoor Awan submits report to Supreme Court.
• They were released on April 6 and 7.
  

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir has granted a special relaxation to 20 convicts involved in the May 9 riots after which they were released from the Pakistan Army’s custody, Geo News reported Tuesday.

Attorney General Usman Awan has submitted a report to the Supreme Court regarding the release of 20 people who were sentenced to one year of imprisonment by the military.

The army chief allowed the release of these convicted persons prior to Eid-ul-Fitr. They were released on April 6 and 7.

Among those freed, include eight residents of Rawalpindi, three from Lahore, five from Gujranwala, three from Dir, and one from Mardan.

On December 23, 2023, a Supreme Court bench headed by headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan allowed the military court to resume trials and therefore handed down sentences in cases of lesser punishment.

The attorney general had earlier told the Supreme Court that individuals sentenced to one year imprisonment or less could benefit from relevant legal provisions, while those facing longer sentences would require relaxation from the competent authority.

The released convicts had stayed in custody for various periods up to 10.5 months.

Responding to the court’s inquiry, the AGP had said that the army currently holds custody of 105 accused, two more than the previous count of 103 provided earlier.

In response, the bench had solicited a comprehensive list of all 105 accused.