Barrister Gohar, Omar Ayub, others acquitted in two cases

ISLAMABAD: A local court has accepted the acquittal pleas of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, Ali Bukhari and others in two cases related to protests involving PTI leaders and workers, acquitting them in both matters.

During the hearing of the cases registered at Karachi Company Police Station, accused Shoaib Shaheen and Ali Bukhari appeared in the court of Judicial Magistrate Shahzad Ahmed, while exemption applications were filed on behalf of Barrister Gohar and Omar Ayub, which the court approved.

Defence lawyer Sardar Shubh Khan, argued for acquittal, stating that the cases were filed by unrelated individuals and that eight accused arrested on the spot had already been discharged. The court questioned the absence of accused Amir Mughal and Amir Dogar, to which the lawyer responded that the court should decide their status. He also cited a previous instance where Murad Saeed was acquitted in similar cases due to non-appearance.

After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its decision on the acquittal pleas and later approved them. The court ordered the acquittal of Barrister Gohar, Omar Ayub, Ali Bukhari, Shoaib Shaheen, Amir Dogar, Malik Rafique, Amir Mughal and others in the cases, directing the case files to be sent back to Karachi Company Police Station.

The cases stemmed from a protest held on April 26, 2024, from Shoaib Shaheen’s office to Karachi Company against alleged rigging in the general elections. The accused were booked under Section 144 and other relevant provisions.