A military court will try civilians who took part in the 2023 uprising, which rights groups have accused of being a “tactic of intimidation”.
Pakistan has arrested 25 people in connection with the attacks that took place after the arrest of the former prime minister Imran Khan in 2023.
The commission for relations with the military group confirmed the decision on Saturday, saying that the military court handed down sentences of between two and 10 years of “dangerous imprisonment”, 14 of which are subject to ten years in prison.
The statement did not mention the charges, but spoke about the actions of Khan's followers attacked a military base and burning the house of an official during the riots in May 2023, as “political terrorism”.
It said the decision was a “strong reminder … not to take the law into your own hands”.
The military said some of those accused of the violence, which killed at least eight people, are being tried in anti-terrorism courts and justice will be served only if the “intellectuals and planners” are punished.
Amnesty International called the decision “an intimidation tactic, designed to suppress the opposition”.
Political motivations
Former cricketer Khan served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, when he was ousted by parliament in a no-confidence vote, blaming the then-powerful army chief for his downfall.
The 72-year-old was Arrested for days in May 2023, then three months later and has been in prison ever since, facing criminal charges that are said to be politically motivated.
Meanwhile, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf The (PTI) party was hit by a massive crackdown, and thousands of supporters and senior officials were arrested.
Khan was barred from contesting elections in February this year, which were marred by fraud.
The PTI defied the insurgency to win more seats than any other party but was shut out by the power and coalition of parties seen as suitable for military action.
Last month, protests and riots also hit the capital Islamabad when thousands of PTI members tried to enter the public square at the entrance of the parliament.
Saturday's verdict came days after Khan was tried by an anti-terrorist court on charges of abetting terrorist acts.