Court dismisses plea seeking case against PM over PTI protest deaths

ISLAMABAD: The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majuka has dismissed a petition seeking registration of a case against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Mohsin Naqvi, and others over the alleged deaths and injuries of PTI activists during a protest on November 26.

During the hearing on Saturday, an assistant lawyer requested a brief adjournment, citing the absence of the senior counsel, who was en route to the court. After resuming proceedings, the petitioner’s lawyers presented their arguments.

Judge Majuka remarked, “You want to record your cross-version,” to which the lawyer responded, “It is our right under Section 154. We were denied our fundamental legal rights.” The lawyer alleged that his client was illegally arrested when he attempted to record his statement at the police station.

The court observed that the petition lacked any death certificates, to which the lawyer argued that it was not their responsibility to collect such records. He stated that affidavits detailing the incident had been attached to the application. He further claimed that the petitioner had struggled to retrieve the body of his son and had previously filed an application under Section 164 in Peshawar, which was dismissed due to jurisdictional issues.

Judge Majuka noted that the petition involved Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and questioned whether the petitioner had filed an exhumation request in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The lawyer responded that such matters were beyond their jurisdiction and that no proof had been provided confirming the alleged deaths.

The court also questioned why the names of Shehbaz Sharif, Mohsin Naqvi, and others were not explicitly mentioned in the petition. The lawyer maintained that supporting documents had been attached and urged the court to approve the petition for case registration.

The prosecutor, in response, remarked, “They have nominated the prime minister and others. Thankfully, they didn’t name the US president. If you are making such allegations, at least prove that the person is deceased.” The prosecutor further noted that a separate robbery-related case included names of individuals allegedly killed during the incident.

The court inquired whether the petitioner had also filed a private complaint on the matter, to which the lawyer replied that no such complaint had been submitted by them. The court, after hearing the arguments, reserved its verdict and later dismissed the petition.