Defense lawyer says it’s first time in legal history that new indictment was filed after acquittal
Imran Khan gestures as he addresses supporters during a rally in Lahore on April 21, 2022. Photo: Reuters
ISLAMABAD:
An unusual development unfolded at the District and Sessions Court in Islamabad on Tuesday when the police filed a fresh charge sheet against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, despite his earlier acquittal in the same case. However, the court dismissed the case.
Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence in Adiala prison in a £190m corruption case. In addition, he faces pending proceedings under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the May 9, 2023 protests.
The case, for which a fresh charge sheet was presented in court today, was registered at Tarnol police station in connection with the Azadi march. It related to alleged violations during the Haqeeqi Azadi March – a protest march organized by the PTI in November 2022 after the ouster of the Imran-led government.
The hearing was conducted by Chief Justice Shahzad Khan, with lawyers Sardar Musroof Khan and Zahid Bashir Dar appearing on behalf of the PTI founder.
The defense attorney commented on the unusual nature of the case, stating that it was the first time in legal history that a defendant had been acquitted, only for a new indictment to be filed.
In response, the judge ordered the defense to submit the previous court order for review. The attorneys filed the acquittal, after which the court conducted a detailed review of the record and the indictment and ultimately dismissed the case based on the prior acquittal.
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In June 2024, a district and sessions court in Islamabad acquitted Imran, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other party leaders in two cases of vandalism during the Haqeeqi Azaadi march. The case filed against the PTI leadership was charged with vandalism and violation of Section 144.
PTI leaders Ali Muhammad Khan and Asad Umar appeared before the court while all others had filed acquittals. In a sigh of relief to party leaders facing multiple cases, the court acquitted the PTI leaders.
Golra police station had also booked the leaders of the former ruling party for violation of Section 144 which was imposed during PTI’s Azadi March.
