Imran's acquittal in SSP torture case: IHC summons case record
The court while summoning the entire record of the case adjourned the hearing indefinitely
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday summoned entire record of a case pertaining to manhandling of then SSP Islamabad (Operations) Asmatullah Junejo during the 2014 sit-in in Islamabad.
A two-member bench of the IHC comprises of Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani took up the case challenging ruling of an anti-terrorism court that acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and Prime Minister Imran Khan in a case pertaining to manhandling of then SSP Islamabad during the 2014 sit-in.
In today’s proceedings, the state counsel Sadaqat Abbasi was of the view that an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had acquitted PM Imran Khan in SSP Islamabad manhandling case.
He prayed the court to declare the verdict null and void and order the court to complete the case’s trial. A total of 11 witnesses have recorded their statements, he added.
Giving his remarks, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani said that not a single witness had given statement against Imran Khan.
Justice Farooq asked the state counsel if he doesn’t want the prime minister to be acquitted to which Sadaqat Abbasi said that the court should first complete the trial and then acquit the premier.
The court while summoning the entire record of the case adjourned the hearing indefinitely.
It is pertinent here to mention that on May 04, the ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand gave the verdict on an application of the PTI chairman seeking acquittal in the case for want of evidence after which the government challenged the ruling of an anti-terrorism court.
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-in calling for the resignation of the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
In a case, 70 people were booked after a mob of protesters 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 Sept 1, 2014.
The protesters were also charged with attacking government properties including the Parliament House building. Another case related to the attack on then-Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Asmatullah Junejo during the sit-in.
