LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday acquitted a man who had been convicted 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 the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Representing the appellant, Advocate Mian Dawood argued that the trial court sentenced his client on mere assumptions as the prosecution had not produced even a single evidence against him.

He said the prosecution had also not presented the report of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) during the trial. The whole evidence of the prosecution relied upon an unverified “receipt book” allegedly used by the appellant to collect funds for the banned outfit, Mian Daood said.

After hearing the arguments, a division bench headed by Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz allowed the appeal and acquitted the appellant.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2021