Imran Khan jailed in Adiala finally got a relief on Tuesday following his acquittal in two separate cases related to vandalism during the March 2022 long march.
Islamabad district and sessions court Judicial Magistrate Shaista Kundi accepted Khan’s petitions and cleared him of charges in cases registered at Islamabad’s Lohi Bhair and Sahala police stations.
At the start of the hearing, Khan’s lawyer, Advocate Naeem Panjotha, raised concerns about multiple cases being filed against the PTI founder in a single day. He argued that neither a notification was issued nor the party was informed about the enforcement of Section 144.
Panjotha also pointed out that the plaintiff in the case was a station house officer (SHO) without the authority to register the case. He noted the absence of witness statements in the cases against Khan.
In response to the magistrate’s query about Khan’s previous acquittals, Panjotha stated that the PTI founder had been cleared in several cases before.
Following these arguments, the court reserved its verdict on Khan’s plea, which was later announced.
Currently imprisoned in Rawalpindi’s Adiala prison serving sentences in the Toshakhana, un-Islamic marriage, and cipher cases, Khan faces restrictions on meetings imposed by the Punjab government due to security threats.
Earlier, Panjotha filed a petition for Khan’s production in court, which was rejected due to security concerns.
The judicial magistrate questioned the responsibility in case of any incident during Khan’s transportation to court, leading to the rejection of the plea.
Panjotha argued that Khan had previously appeared in court on his own, and it was the government’s responsibility to ensure security. However, the plea was dismissed, with the magistrate emphasizing the necessity of attendance on bail.
