LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday acquitted PML-N leaders Marriyum Aurangzeb and Javed Latif in a case relating to anti-state speeches registered against them during the PTI government in Punjab.

ATC Judge Naveed Iqbal allowed the acquittal applications of both the PML-N leaders. The judge also acquitted PTV’s former managing director Sohail Ali Khan and former director news Rashid Beg in the case.

All the suspects, except former MNA Javed Latif, appeared before the court.

Mr Latif’s lawyer filed an application seeking his client’s exemption from personal appearance, which the judge allowed and announced the verdict on the acquittal pleas.

ATC declares seven PTI leaders proclaimed offenders in May 9 case

The judge observed that the prosecution had failed to establish its charges against the suspects.

The complainant of the FIR, while appearing before the court, said he had no knowledge how police used his name for the registration of the case.

Last year, the court had rejected a police report for cancellation of the FIR against the PML-N leaders and summoned them. Later, the suspects filed acquittal applications under Section 365-K of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Lahore’s Green Town police had registered the case against the PML-N leaders and others on Sep 19, 2022 for allegedly ‘using religion to instill and spread hatred’ against PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan.

The FIR was filed by the prayer leader of a mosque situated within the jurisdiction of the Green Town police station. The complainant alleged that he came across a press conference of Javed Latif on Sept 14, 2022 in which he hurled disturbing accusations at Imran Khan in the name of religion.

The PTV managing director and controller programme had also been nominated in the FIR, as the presser was shown on PTV. The complainant said Mr Latif accused the PTI’s former chief of “attacking the basic principles of Islam” by “supporting” the Ahmediyya community during his tenure.

PTI leaders declared absconders

The ATC declared seven PTI leaders proclaimed offenders in a May 9 case of torching police vehicles near Rahat Bakery in the cantonment area.

Judge Naveed Iqbal issued the order on an application filed by the investigating officer (IO) of Sarwar Road police station.

The IO said despite hectic efforts the suspects could not be arrested as they went into hiding for fear of arrest. He said non-bailable arrest warrants and proclamations in newspapers had also been issued against the suspects, but they failed to surrender to the law.

He requested the court to declare the suspects — former federal minister Murad Saeed, Senator Azam Swati, Zubair Khan Niazi, Wasiq Qayum, Hamid Raza, Hafiz Farhat and Imtiaz Ahmad Sheikh — proclaimed offenders in FIR No.108 of 2023.

The judge also directed the IO to submit details of moveable and immoveable assets of the absconding suspects so that proceedings for the attachment of their property under Section 88 of the CrPC could be started.

Many of these PTI leaders have already been declared proclaimed offenders in several cases of May 9 riots, including attacks on the Jinnah House, which also serves as corps commander’s residence, Shadman police station and Askari Tower of Liberty.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2024