Imran Khan files plea seeking acquittal in Islamabad sit-in cases

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday filed two pleas in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) here, pleading his acquittal and an exemption from personal appearance in cases related to the attack on the state buildings and then SSP Islamabad (Operations) Asmatullah Junejo during the 2014 sit-in in the federal capital.

At the outset of court proceedings today, Khan appeared before the court and filed two pleas through his lawyer Advocate Shahid Naseem Gondal.

Judge Shahrukh Arjumand asked Khan’s lawyer to provide copies of the requests to prosecution.

Gondal pleaded with the judge to announce a decision pertaining to his client’s acquittal before the charges framed against him.

The judge then remarked that a notice to the prosecution would be issued to prepare the arguments over the requests.

He directed the PTI chairman to appear before the court until a decision on his plea seeking an exemption from personal appearance announced.

He then adjourned the hearing till February 26.

Prior to court proceedings, Khan alighted from his vehicle parked outside the Federal Judicial Complex and covered the remaining distance on foot.

In an informal conversation, Khan replied to a reporter that he did not park his vehicle inside the complex building as former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif does during corruption hearings.

“I am an ordinary citizen and not a royalty,” he remarked in response to a question as why he parked his vehicle outside the complex building.

He said he appeared before the court for supremacy of the rule of law.

Deploring the terrorism charges against him, Khan said the cases were filed against him in a bid to subdue his political struggle.

He said the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been raging at the judiciary, despite being allegedly involved in corrupt practices and money laundering.

On the occasion, the PTI chairman alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been involved in extrajudicial killings of people in staged encounters by police.

Coming on Lodhran by-election, he said the ruling party had spent millions of rupees in the by-poll and defended the party defeat, as he said, the PTI candidate contested his first election but received 91,000 votes.

Cases against political cousins

Police had booked Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri along with their supporters in a number of cases during the 2014 sit-in calling for the resignation of the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

In a case, 70 people were booked after a mob of protesters belonging to the PTI and PAT stormed PTV headquarters and forced its staff to take two of the state broadcaster’s flagship channels — PTV News and PTV World — off the air on Sept 1, 2014.

The protesters were also charged with attacking government properties including the Parliament House building.

Another case related to the attack on then-Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Asmatullah Junejo.