PTI founder acquitted in vandalism cases

ISLAMABAD: The sessions court in Islamabad on Monday acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan, and others in the Azadi March vandalism case, ARY News reported.

Judicial Magistrate Mureed Abbas Khan announced the reserved verdict.

Among those acquitted alongside Imran Khan were prominent PTI leaders Zartaj Gul, Ali Nawaz Awan, Faisal Javed, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Qasim Suri, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Shireen Mazari, Saifullah Niazi, Asad Umar, and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.

During the proceedings, Imran Khan’s counsel Naeem Panjotha argued that the FIR had been filed by an unauthorised person. He contended that the authority to file the case rested only with the person who imposed Section 144.

The counsel maintained that FIRs were registered against peaceful protesters and 19 cases of the same nature were registered against Khan in different police stations.

Panjotha requested the court to acquit the PTI founder since the allegations made against him were baseless.

After hearing the arguments, the court reserved the verdict on the acquittal pleas.

In 2022, vandalism cases were registered by the Karachi Company police against PTI founder Imran Khan, lawmaker Zartaj Gul, former PTI leader Asad Umar, Faisal Javed, Ali Nawaz Awan and Saifullah Niazi in connection with Azadi March.

Earlier on May 15, Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) settlement reference.