The Islamabad sessions court acquitted former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and others in the Azadi March vandalism case on Monday, as reported by Pakistan-based ARY News. The verdict was announced by Judicial Magistrate Mureed Abbas Khan after reserving judgment.
Alongside Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, several prominent PTI leaders and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad were acquitted in the Azadi March vandalism case. This information was reported by ARY News. During the court proceedings, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Naeem Panjotha, argued that the FIR had been lodged by an unauthorized individual. He emphasized that only the person responsible for imposing Section 144 had the authority to file the case.
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Naeem Panjotha contended that FIRs were unjustly filed against peaceful protestors, with Imran Khan facing 19 such cases across various police stations. He urged the court to dismiss the baseless allegations against the PTI founder. Following the arguments, the court reserved its verdict on the acquittal pleas. Earlier in 2022, vandalism cases linked to the Azadi March were registered by the Karachi Company police against PTI founder Imran Khan, along with lawmakers Zartaj Gul, Asad Umar, Faisal Javed, Ali Nawaz Awan, and Saifullah Niazi.
Imran Khan was granted bail in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) settlement reference by the Islamabad High Court on May 15, as per ARY News. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled the hearing for appeals against the conviction of Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for May 21, as reported by Pakistan-based ARY News. The hearing will be presided over by a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb. The previous hearing, which was adjourned on May 15 due to the cancellation of the cause list, will resume on the specified date.
During the upcoming court session, FIA Special Prosecutor Hafiz Hamad Ali Shah is expected to conclude his arguments. Following this, Imran Khan will present his defence. Earlier, Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), filed pleas in the Islamabad High Court challenging convictions in the cypher and Toshakhana case, as per ARY News. On January 30, a special court sentenced Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi to 10 years in jail each for their alleged involvement in misusing cypher contents for illicit purposes. The court’s verdict emphasized the sufficiency of evidence presented by the prosecution against Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
