- Shehryar Afridi among others also acquitted in a case of May 9 riots
ISLAMABAD: A local here in the federal capital on Thursday acquitted former prime minister Imran Khan, Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shehryar Afridi and other leaders including AML chief Sheikh Rashid in Azadi March case.
As per details, Judicial Magistrate Malik Muhammad Imran announced the reserved verdict, exonerating the PTI founder, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shehryar Afridi and AML chief Sheikh Rashid of the charges of violation of Section 144, vandalism and arson.
The court also acquitted former PTI leaders, including Sadaqat Abbasi and Ali Nawaz Awan from the Azadi March case.
It is to be noted that several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders including former prime minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others were booked by the capital police in various FIRs related to Azadi March 2022.
The police had registered 42 cases against senior leaders and workers of the PTI for agitation in the aftermath of clashes erupted between the police and the PTI leader in the federal capital.
Meanwhile, Judicial Magistrate Malik Muhammad Imran also acquitted more PTI leaders, including Shehryar Khan Afridi, in a May 9 case registered on charges of arson and vandalism. This legal development marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing judicial assessments facing the party.
Previously, in a separate but related case, over 150 individuals, including Khan, were implicated following destructive activities in the capital. Despite extensive video evidence utilized in these cases, the recent court decision has granted relief to the involved PTI leaders as they continue their political endeavors aimed at toppling what they term a ‘US-backed’ coalition government.
Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted former prime minister Imran Khan and PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi in cipher case.
IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the verdict on the pleas challenging the conviction in the cipher case.
In January this year, PTI founder and party’s vice-chairman were sentenced to 10 years each in prison in cipher case.
