ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday, a federal magistrate in Islamabad cleared former prime minister Imran Khan in two counts involving long march vandalism.
Shaista Kundi, the judicial magistrate, pronounced the verdict that was reserved earlier in the day. Nonetheless, the motion to call the PTI founder into court was denied by the judge.
Imran’s attorney, Naeem Panjotha, said at the hearing that all of the allegations against the former premier were restricted to intimation. In one day, he had several identical instances booked. An SHO is the complainant in this instance, but he lacks the right to file a complaint. He also stated that witness statements are not included in the case.
The judge asked the lawyer if Imran had ever been found not guilty in any previous cases, and the lawyer replied in the positive.
The ruling was subsequently postponed by the court until later in the day.
The police stations in Sahala and Lohi Bhair received the complaints against the former premier.
‘Vandalism’ on the long march
Regarding claims of arson and vandalism in the federal capital the previous day, the Islamabad police filed separate cases on May 27, 2022, against 150 individuals, including Imran Khan, the PTI chairman at the time, and fellow party leaders Asad Umar and Asad Qaiser.
Evidence from both private TV news networks and the footage from the Safe City cameras was used in the case trials. At least 39 individuals were apprehended following their identification from the video.
Under Sections 109 (abetment), 148 (rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public service), 188 (disobedience), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage), and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage), two FIRs were filed at the Kohsar police station in response to the complaints of sub-inspectors Asif Raza and Ghulam Sarwar.
According to SI Raza’s FIR, at approximately 11 PM, a group of approximately 100 to 150 individuals with PTI flags abruptly moved towards Express Chowk when he and other police officers were patrolling the area around Jinnah Avenue’s China Chowk. He continued by saying that because Section 144 had been implemented in Islamabad, the police had attempted to dissuade the PTI supporters, but they had not listened and had instead thrown stones at the policemen and set fire to trees.
According to the SI, 36 people were “brought under control” after “acting at the behest of Imran and other PTI leadership”.
Imran began his march on Islamabad in May 2022 in an attempt to overthrow the coalition government that had taken over after he was removed as prime minister in the wake of a vote of no confidence.
The PTI held the gathering as part of its campaign to free the country from the “slavery” of the coalition government that the US had “backed” and to bring about “real freedom.”
“This is an imported government that came to power through a US-backed conspiracy,” Imran charged, referring to the coalition government.
