Former Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid has been sentenced to 34 years on charges of threatening security agencies.
In addition to the sentence, the court has also imposed a fine of Rs 600,000 on him. The ATC further directed the police to arrest Khalid Khurshid and transfer him to jail for the duration of the sentence.
The court also ordered NADRA to block his Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC). The charges against Khurshid stem from an incident on May 26, 2024, during a PTI power show, where he allegedly issued threats against GB’s chief secretary, the chief election commissioner, and security agencies.
An FIR was lodged against him at the City Police Station in Gilgit under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He has been alleged to threaten the security officials and will have to face serious consequences.
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Despite the charges, Khurshid remained the fugitive and did not appear in court for a hearing.
Khalid Khurshid served as the Chief Minister of Gilgit Baltistan from 2020 to 2023, when courts disqualified him for a fake degree. The degree, purportedly from the University of London, was later verified as fake by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) after a formal inquiry.
He joined the party in 2018 and had risen to the position of divisional president of the Diamer-Astore region. Khurshid has been a staunched and proactive leader of PTI who has been present in all the major protests organized by PTI since the removal of Imran Khan from office. He was also present at the recent protest led by PTI at Islamabad’s D-Chowk.
Meanwhile, speculations claim the government is reportedly considering offering Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan a deal involving house arrest, on the condition that he refrains from challenging the existing political system.
A key member of the coalition government’s negotiation team, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasized that there would be no compromise regarding the events of May 9. The government intends to remain in power until 2029. However, the source indicated that Imran Khan could be transferred from Adiala Jail to his residence in Bani Gala if he agrees to accept the current system and abandon confrontational politics.