Islamabad Court Acquits Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi In Two Vandalism Cases

PTI leaders Murad Saeed and Ali Mohammad Khan were also acquitted in both cases.

Islamabad Court Acquits Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi In Two Vandalism Cases

In the two cases involving the long march vandalism, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and party leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi were declared not guilty by a district and sessions court in the federal capital on Monday.

The acquittal against the petitions submitted by Khan and Qureshi was approved by Judicial Magistrate Ehtesham Alam.

In the meantime, former leader Asad Umar also received relief, and PTI lawmakers Ali Mohammad Khan and Murad Saeed were acquitted in both cases.

Umar and Ali both arrived in court and marked their presence. The charges against them were filed at Golra Police Station.

The development comes two weeks after the PTI founder and other party officials were acquitted in identical cases lodged in the Kohsar and Karachi Company police stations for violating Section 144.

Zartaj Gul, Ali Nawaz Awan, Faisal Javed, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Qasim Suri, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Shireen Mazari, Saifullah Niazi, Asad Umar, and Awami Muslim League chairman Sheikh Rashid Ahmad were among the politicians acquitted on May 20. 

On May 30, a district and sessions court in Islamabad acquitted Khan in two separate cases relating to the May 9 riots. 

"Because of insufficient evidence presented by the prosecution, the PTI founder has been acquitted," the district and sessions court stated in its judgment. 

Cases were filed against the PTI founder for the long march and violation of Article 144.

Khan has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail since August 2023, and other current and former members of his party are facing various charges in connection with the violence that occurred after his arrest on May 9. 

On May 16, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) accepted the PTI founder's bail plea in the £190 million National Crime Agency (NCA) settlement reference, although he has since been detained in other instances.