LAHORE, Jan 12: PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif has filed an application in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), holding his trial for his alleged involvement in extra-judicial killings, asking the court to acquit him after dropping all charges against him.

The application has come at a time when speculations regarding a national government are rife in the backdrop of Sharif’s second alleged meeting with the president’s envoy in Islamabad.

Marking Jan 22 as the next date of hearing on the application, the court exempted Sharif from appearing in person for Saturday on “medical grounds”.

“They had moved an application for his (Sharif’s) exemption, saying he was bed-ridden,” said Aftab Bajwa, who is counsel for the complainant.

“We have moved an application for Sharif’s acquittal under Section 265-K of the Cr.PC,” said his counsel Khwaja Haris while talking to Dawn. He said the charges against his client were concocted and contained not even a shred of evidence.

A returning officer had disqualified Sharif from contesting the upcoming elections, citing the case pending before the ATC.

The case was lodged against Sharif on a complaint filed by Saeeduddin, who alleged that his son Salahuddin and four others, Wakeel, Waseem, Haider and Abdur Rauf, were killed in a shootout with police in 1998 on the directives of Sharif, the then chief minister of the Punjab province.

Sharif’s counsel said though the prosecution record had Sharif’s name, the FIR was silent as to what role he played in the shootout. He added that the petition moved before the Lahore High Court in 2000 for the registration of the case never sought registration of case against Sharif.

But, when the complainant sought the registration of the FIR on the basis of court orders, he inserted Sharif’s name as well, Haris said. None of the families of other men killed in the shootout alleged Sharif’s any role in the incident, he added. —Reporter