KARACHI:
A district and sessions court of Islamabad acquitted PTI founder Imran Khan on Thursday in two more May 9 cases.
Judicial Magistrate Umar Shabbir pronounced the reserved verdict citing the acquittal of the former premier on grounds of insufficient evidence.
Two cases were lodged against Imran in the Shahzad Town police station, following his arrest on May 9 from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises that sparked notion wide protests including attacks on military installations.
PTI lawyers Mirza Asim Baig and Naeem Panjotha were representing Imran in these cases.
Baig stated that an unauthorized person registered an FIR against the PTI founder adding that Imran was accused of section 109 but no evidence could be proved against him.
On May 20, Imran was acquitted in an another May 9 case registered at Khanna Police Station.
Read 51 sentenced to five years for May 9 riots
The judicial magistrate’s verdict stated that, according to the FIR, the PTI founder incited others and was accused of playing a role in incitement.
However, the evidence on record is not sufficient to prove the allegations against him.
The court cannot proceed with the case against the PTI founder based on such evidence, it added. The verdict further stated that an accused cannot be deprived of their legal rights without a cause.
The prosecution’s case is not based on solid evidence. Even if the prosecution records the available evidence, it does not prove the PTI founder’s guilt.
Considering the facts, the prosecution’s story has become highly questionable. Proceeding with the case based on the current evidence would waste the court’s valuable time, it added.
The court ordered that the PTI founder’s acquittal application in the case registered at Khanna Police Station on May 9, 2023, is approved.
Almost the entire PTI leadership was booked under various charges after the violent protests that erupted on May 9, 2023 following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan from the premises of the IHC in a corruption case.
