Court acquits Imran Khan, other PTI leaders in two long march cases

Islamabad: The District and Sessions Court on Monday acquitted former Prime Minister and founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and other PTI leaders in two cases registered at the Karachi Company and Kohsar police stations in violation of Section 144 involving the long march in the federal capital.

Judicial Magistrate Mureed Abbas Khan announced a reserved verdict on the acquittal pleas of Imran Khan, Faisal Javed, Ali Nawaz Awan, Saifullah Niazi, Zartaj Gul and Asad Umar. Lawyers Naeem Panjutha, Sardar Ghazal and Amina Ali appeared in the court and made arguments on the applications for acquittal.

Asad Umar and Saifullah Niazi appeared in the court while Faisal Javed and Zartaj Gul were exempted from attendance.

Lawyer Naeem Panjotha, who represented the PTI, argued that the case had been lodged by an unauthorised person, adding that if the basis of an FIR was wrong, how the case could proceed.  The lawyer contended that the authority to file the case rested only with the person who imposed Section 144. 

He further pleaded that no video evidence could be presented against Imran Khan in the instant case.