Prime Minister Imran Khan has been acquitted by an Islamabad anti-terrorism court (ATC) in a case pertaining to an attack on Parliament House in 2014.
The verdict announced by ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan absolved the prime minister of all the charges filed against him by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. The court said it would indict Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mahmood at the next hearing on Nov 21.
The court had on October 26 reserved its verdict on the PM’s acquittal plea in the case. The prime minister through his counsel Babar Awan had pleaded that court to quash the case against him. He had said the prosecution was no longer interested in pursuing the case.
Awan had maintained that there was no evidence proving the involvement of the prime minister in the case. He had also mentioned that no eyewitness has come forward regarding this.
In September 2014, hundreds of PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers had attacked parliament premises and the PTV office in Islamabad during the 126-day protest against the then PML-N government.
During the riot, at least 50 people were injured, including police officer Asmatullah Junejo. Subsequently, the government pressed terror charges against the PTI chairman and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.
