ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A court in Pakistan’s capital sentenced YouTuber and retired Pakistan Army Maj. Adil Raja and six other journalists and social media commentators to two life terms each Friday after convicting them of what prosecutors described as “digital terrorism” linked to the May 9, 2023, riots. The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) said their online content helped incite attacks on state institutions after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Jan. 2, 2026.
ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict after trials held in absentia, meaning none of the defendants were present in court. Court orders reviewed by Dawn show the life sentences were imposed on two counts — waging war against Pakistan and criminal conspiracy — with additional prison terms totaling 35 years under other provisions. The orders also listed multiple fines and said unpaid penalties could add up to more jail time.
Besides Adil Raja, those sentenced were former army official Syed Akbar Hussain, journalists Wajahat Saeed Khan, Sabir Shakir and Shaheen Sehbai, analyst Moeed Pirzada and anchor Haider Raza Mehdi. Prosecutors alleged the group used vlogs, broadcasts and social media posts to encourage protests that turned violent after Khan’s arrest, according to court documents.
Adil Raja verdict: appeals, enforcement and reaction
Wajahat Saeed Khan, who lives in New York, said he was “never served a summons” or notified of proceedings. A Reuters report said the sentences, along with additional prison terms and fines, are subject to confirmation by the Islamabad High Court.
Sabir Shakir, a former TV anchor, called the ruling “political victimization” and said he was not in Pakistan during the May 2023 unrest, the Associated Press reported. Under the court order, the defendants can appeal within seven days, and police were directed to arrest them if they return to Pakistan.
How the May 9 cases reached Adil Raja
The May 9 riots — sparked by Khan’s arrest in a corruption case — have driven a wide-ranging legal crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders, supporters and online commentators. Authorities say the prosecutions target incitement and attacks on state institutions; press freedom groups and rights advocates say the cases are chilling speech and reporting.
The Adil Raja verdict also lands in a case history that stretches back years. In June 2023, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency said it was moving to bring back overseas critics, including Adil Raja, amid a wider social media crackdown, The Express Tribune reported.
Later, the military said Adil Raja had been sentenced in absentia by a field general court-martial to 14 years in prison for inciting sedition and related offenses, according to a 2023 Dawn report. And in July 2025, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore handed 10-year sentences to senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders in a separate May 9 case, according to a July 2025 Reuters report.
For Adil Raja and the other defendants, the latest verdict raises an immediate question of enforcement: whether the sentences can be executed while they remain abroad, and how quickly appeals move through Pakistan’s courts.
