Prime-Minister-Imran-Khan-1An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday acquitted Prime Minister Imran Khan in a case pertaining to attack on buildings of Parliament and Pakistan Television during the sit-in of 2014.
The court, however, summoned federal ministers Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pervaiz Khatak, Shafqat Mehmood and Asad Umer on November 21, for indictment. The ATC separated the matter of President Arif Alvi and sent it to office due to his immunity.
ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan announced the judgment which was reserved in last hearing after conclusion of arguments from both sides.
The court also summoned provincial minister Aleem Khan, Shaukat Yousafzai and Jahangir Tareen on next hearing.
The court, however, acquitted Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT)’s leader Mubashir Ali from the case while PAT’s chief Tahirul Qadri was still absconder in the case.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had stated in written arguments that he had been named in a baseless case as there was no evidence and witness against him. The prosecutor had also supported the acquittal plea of Imran Khan and argued in last hearing that it was just a political fabricated case as there was no evidence against him. He had prayed the court to acquit him from the case as the trial would only waste the court time. The prosecution had no objection if he was acquitted, he said.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the incumbent government appoints prosecution lawyers, who, during the 2014 sit-in, were being advised by the PML-N government. Now, however, that the PTI is in power, the situation has reversed.
PM Imran, as well as other party leaders, including Alvi, Umar, and Qureshi, were booked by police under the Anti-Terrorism Act after being accused of attacking the Parliament House and the office of the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) during a sit-in staged by the PTI and PAT – under Dr Qadri – in Islamabad in August 2014.
The politicians had marched towards the Parliament and PM House in an attempt to topple the then PML-N government after the Model Town incident. Clashes with the authorities were reported as they made their way towards the destination.
The protest had gone on for more than 100 days.
During the sit-in, protesters had beaten up SSP Asmatullah Junejo at the Constitution Avenue when they attacked the PTV headquarters and parts of the Parliament. A case was then filed against PM Imran, Qadri, and others for torturing the SSP and five other police officers.
In September 2018, the ATC had granted Prime Minister Imran Khan a permanent exemption from appearing before it in the cases.
Separately, the ATC in the hearing on Thursday also reserved its decision on whether or not to set aside a case against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, with FM Qureshi’s lawyer opposing the petition. The foreign minister had filed a case against the PML-N supremo over the death of party workers during the 2014 sit-in.
During the hearing, the ATC judge remarked that it was not a court order, not an administrative one, and that the court heard the arguments of Qureshi’s counsel, Advocate Shahid Naseem Gondal. “We will decide next week” on the petition, the judge noted.
Advocate Gondal told the court the police had not met the legal requirements while preparing the report to set aside the case. They did not even send a notice to the plaintiff while filing it, he stated.
