PESHAWAR: The Anti-Terrorism Court has acquitted all 18 accused, including PTI workers, in the May 9 riots case due to lack of evidence on Friday.
As per details, the defendants were accused of protesting in Landi Kotal on May 9, blocking the Torkham Road, damaging property, and damaging an Anti-Narcotics Force vehicle.
However, the court found no evidence against them and has acquitted all 18 defendants. The verdict was announced by Judge Muhammad Iqbal of the Special Anti-Terrorism Court.
Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government wrote a letter to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, requesting formation of a judicial commission to probe May 9 riots.
According to sources, the KP government asked PHC to appoint a judge to head the commission, which will probe the events of May 9 and identify those responsible.
The purpose of the commission is to determine the culprits and bring them to before the nation. The letter stated that the commission should be headed by a sitting or retired judge of the PHC.
Violent clashes were broken out across Pakistan after former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested on May 9, 2023.
The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.
Army installations, including Corps Commander’s house in Lahore, had come under attack during the protests by PTI workers.
It is pertinent to mention that the PTI founder is named as main accused in all the May 9 riots cases.
