ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad reserved its verdict on Tuesday over the acquittal petition of Prime Minister Imran Khan in the 2014 Pakistan Television (PTV) and Parliament House attack case. The attacks had taken place during the sit-in protest of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the federal capital territory.
The court will announce its verdict on December 5. Judge Raja Javad Abbas heard the case.
Arguing in support of the plea, Imran Khan’s counsel Babar Awan said that the anti-terrorism charges could not be applied to the speeches made by the prime minister and the violation of section 144.
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State prosecutor Chaudhry Shafqat said that he would have no objection, if Imran was declared innocent in the case. He said the cases were made on the basis of politics and would waste the court’s time.
On Aug 31, 2014, supporters of the PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek had stormed the Parliament House and Prime Minister House and scuffled with police. Police had invoked the anti-terrorism act against Imran Khan and other senior party leaders including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Arif Alvi and Shafqat Mehmood accusing them of making incendiary speeches. The prosecution had said that three people were killed and 26 others were injured.
On Nov 18, while referring towards the Lahore High Court’s allowing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to leave for abroad without signing indemnity bond, Imran Khan had urged the chief justice to provide justice to liberate the country. He had asked the judiciary to build people’s trust on it.
“The impression of segregated legal systems for rich and poor should be eradicated,” he had pleaded.
