Advocate General Islamabad Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri on Wednesday challenged the anti-terrorism court’s (ATC) acquittal of Imran Khan in the torture case of a senior police officer during the 2014 sit-in.
The petition maintains that Imran is among the prime accused in the torture case of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Asmatullah Junejo during the police operation to push back protesters during the 2014 sit-in organised by Imran and Dr Tahirul Qadri.
Jahangiri filed the petition on behalf of the State of Pakistan in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The petition states that the impugned judgment was passed without keeping all evidence in consideration. The petition also alleges that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief’s involvement in the incident is obvious, yet the court did not consider that while passing the judgment.
The petition further maintains that since Imran was also named in the FIR of the incident, his acquittal is questioned. 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 SSP Asmatullah Junejo attack case, filed after the 2014 sit-in.
ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand read out the verdict in the case. “You are discharged from the case,” said the judge. “Thank you,” replied Imran and walked out of the courtroom.
The court had deferred the judgment on April 25 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 booked in the cases. The workers, who were arrested, were later released on bail.
On September 1, 2014, hundreds of men, allegedly protesters from the PTI and PAT camps, ransacked the PTV office, parliament premises and brutally beat up Junejo, less than 24 hours into his first day as SSP operations. Imran, PAT chief Tahirul Qadri and several others were booked for their alleged involvement in the attacks.
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.
