PTI Leaders, Including Imran Khan, Acquitted In Vandalism

A district and session court in Islamabad issued an acquittal on Wednesday for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, his former aide Asad Umar and other leaders of the former ruling party in a case related to vandalism and riots in the capital.

Imran Khan, Asad Umar, and Faisal Javed, along with other PTI leaders, were cleared of charges pertaining to protest and vandalism. The case was initiated by Islamabad police, accusing top PTI leaders of violating Section 144 during the PTI’s long march on May 25, 2022.

Read more: Imran Khan And Bushra Bibi Challenge Iddat Ruling In Court

Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Shabbir presided over the case and ordered the acquittal, stating that continuing the trial would be a futile exercise as the suspects could not be penalized in this particular case.

Among those acquitted are PTI chief Imran Khan, Asad Umar, Raja Khurram, Shahzad Nawaz, Ali Nawaz Awan, Faisal Javed, Abid Hussain and Zaheer Khan. Notably, Asad Umar, Ali Nawaz Awan and Faisal Javed were among the suspects.

The court raised the possibility that the case might have been politically motivated, citing PTI leadership’s claims of vendetta.

During the earlier proceedings, the prosecutor asserted that Imran Khan and other suspects had intentionally obstructed GT Road. The court emphasized that the government’s notification of Section 144 had not been made public. Additionally, the court noted that despite the inclusion of 11 witnesses in the case, not a single statement had been recorded thus far.