Anti-Terrorism Court on Tuesday reserved verdict on a petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, seeking acquittal in cases pertaining to attack on state buildings and ex-SSP Islamabad (Operations). Hundreds of men, allegedly protesters from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, entered the PTV building and ransacked its office, and the Parliament's premises and brutally beat up the then SSP Asmatullah Junejo. Imran, PAT chief Tahirul Qadri and several others were booked over their alleged involvement in the attack during the 2014 sit-ins at Constitution Avenue, Islamabad.
The PTI chairman appeared before the ATC. Judge Shahrukh Arjumand on the application of PTI chief filed under section 265-K of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) after hearing the arguments of Imran's lawyer, Babar Awan, and Special Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Shafqaat reserved the judgment. During the last hearing, Khan appeared before the court and filed an application through his lawyer, seeking acquittal in the cases.
Judge Shahrukh Arjumand then asked the defence lawyer to provide a copy of the application to the prosecution. Babar Awan requested the judge to announce a decision on his client's acquittal plea before framing of charges against his client. He argued that many witnesses even did not take Imran's name for ransacking PTV building, adding that two police constables, appearing as witness, stated that Tahirul Qadri had incited the protesteRs He opposed to summon the witnesses again for the purpose of cross-examination.
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-ins. In a case, 70 people were booked after a mob of protesters allegedly 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 September 1, 2014.
The protesters were also charged with attacking government properties including the Parliament House building. Another case is related to the attack on then Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Asmatullah Junejo during the sit-in. On August 31, 2014, in an attempt to topple the PML-N government, the PTI and the PAT workers had marched on Parliament House and the PM House while clashing with policemen along the way.
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