LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday acquitted Federal Minister for Communication Abdul Aleem Khan, MPA Shoaib Siddiqui and others in a 2022 case of attacking officials of the city district administration and the Ravi Urban Development Authority (Ruda).

Chuhng Police had registered a case against the management of Park View Housing Society, including its owner Abdul Aleem Khan and Chief Executive Officer Shoaib Siddiqui.

The police had submitted a challan to the court alleging that the accused attacked a team of district government officials and Ruda when they started an operation to retrieve state land measuring 55 kanals encroached by the housing scheme.

Siddiqui and other accused appeared in the court, while Federal Minister Aleem Khan submitted an application seeking exemption from personal appearance.

The accused had taken a plea that the government’s team was demolishing constructed homes in the society when the residents and the security staff resisted. They said the government carried out the operation in violation of the stay orders issued by the Lahore High Court.

ATC Judge Arshad Javed allowed the acquittal pleas and acquitted the accused.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2025