The Islamabad District and Sessions Court has acquitted former prime minister PTI founder Imran Khan and former lawmakers Asad Umar and Faisal Javed, among others, of charges in a case of protest and vandalism. The case, registered at Tarnol police station, had been registered over the alleged violation of Section 144 during the PTI's supposed long march of May 25, 2022. Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Shabbir issued the decision to accept the acquittal petitions, which were filed separately by the suspects under Section 249-A of the law. The judgement highlighted that further trial would be a futile exercise as the suspects could not be punished in the case. Among those acquitted are PTI Founder Imran Khan, Asad Umar, Raja Khurram, Shahzad Nawaz, Ali Nawaz Awan, Faisal Javed, Abid Hussain, and Zaheer Khan. Notably, suspects Asad Umar, Ali Nawaz Awan, and Faisal Javed were on bail, and the court ruled that they can now withdraw their bonds.

The court's decision was based on the argument that the suspects, including Imran Khan, were unaware of the implementation of Section 144, as no notification had been issued by the additional district magistrate. The court suggested that the case might have been politically motivated, indicating a potential act of revenge against the PTI leadership. During the proceedings, the court remarked that according to the prosecutor, the PTI founder and other suspects had intentionally obstructed GT Road. However, the court emphasized that the government's notification of Section 144 had not been made public. Furthermore, it noted that the SHO of Tarnol police station was the complainant in the case, and a police officer lacked the authority to do so. Despite the inclusion of 11 witnesses in the case file, the court revealed that not a single statement had been recorded.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)