Lahore High Court acquits convict

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Monday acquitted a man convicted on the charge of raising funds for a banned outfit. An anti-terrorism court had awarded the appellant, Dawar Khan, one-year imprisonment in a case registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). He was accused of raising funds for banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The appellant’s counsel argued that the trial court sentenced his client on mere assumptions as the prosecution had not produced any single evidence against him. He said the prosecution had not presented the report of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) during the trial.

The counsel said the whole evidence of the prosecution relied upon an unverified “receipt book” allegedly used by the appellant to collect funds for the banned outfit. After hearing the arguments, a division bench headed by Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz allowed the appeal and acquitted the appellant.