QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) on Monday quashed the sedition case registered against former prime minister Imran Khan on March 5 on allegations he made seditious remarks during one of his speeches.

The case was lodged by a citizen with the Bijli Road police station. Four days after the FIR was registered, the judicial magistrate-I Quetta issued non-bailable warrants for the PTI chairman.

On behalf of Mr Khan, members of the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF) challenged the FIR and issuance of non-bailable warrants in the BHC.

A division bench of BHC comprising Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Gul Hassan Tareen took up the petition filed against the judicial magistrate’s decision and cancelled the non-bailable warrants for Mr Khan’s arrest in the case.

In its verdict, the division bench observed that the prosecution had failed to obtain the requisite consent from the federal or provincial governments to proceed with the sedition charges against the PTI leader.

The charges are “without lawful authority and are of no legal effect,” the BHC ruled, throwing out the case.

“God be praised. The court has also quashed the FIR registered against the PTI chairman and discharged the case,” Mr Khan’s counsel said.

ILF’s Iqbal Shah and Hassan Rind appeared before the high court on behalf of Mr Khan.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2023