Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan’s acquittal in a case assault on a senior police officer during his party’s 2014 sit-in was challenged by the government on Wednesday.
The petition submitted by Advocate General Islamabad Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri maintained that Imran was among the prime accused in the case involving assault on SSP Asmatullah Junejo during police’s operation to push back protesters during the 2014 sit-in. It stated that the impugned judgement was passed without considering the evidence in its entirety.
The petition also alleged that the PTI chief was involved in the incident, yet the court did not consider that while passing the judgement, maintaining that since Imran was also named in the FIR of the incident, his acquittal was questionable. It alleged that the judge didn’t take the gravity of the offence and its importance in consideration while handing down the verdict.
On May 4, an ATC acquitted Imran in the case. Reading out the verdict, ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand stated, “You are discharged from the case.”
Earlier on April 25, the court had deferred the judgement in the acquittal plea submitted by Imran and ordered him to appear in person.
Political leaders and over a hundred workers and supporters of PTI and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) were nominated in FIRs registered in it and other cases during the 2014 sit-in. The workers, who were arrested, were later released on bail.
On September 1, 2014, hundreds of PTI and PAT workers, had ransacked the PTV office, Parliament’s premises and brutally beaten up SSP Junejo, less than 24 hours into his first day as SSP operations.
On August 31, 2014, in an attempt to topple the PML-N government, the PTI and the PAT workers had marched on the parliament and the PM House while clashing with policemen along the way.
Published in Daily Times, May 17th 2018.
