Magistrate acquits PTI supporters in Islamabad lockdown case

Lawyer argues that case against the suspects was baseless

ISLAMABAD: Nearly nine months after they were booked for defying a ban on public gatherings during November 2016 to lock down Islamabad, an executive magistrate has acquitted over 300 supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) had imposed a ban on rallies and gatherings of five or more people under Section 144 of the CrPC ahead of the PTI’s announced agitation in Islamabad on November 1 last year.

The police had arrested over 300 supporters and workers of PTI for violating the ban and booked them at various police stations. All of those who had been detained were released on bails just days later after the PTI cancelled its announced lockdown of the capital.



Later, advocate Ali Bukhari, representing the PTI and the suspects, submitted an application before the district magistrate to acquit those booked. He maintained that the charges against the suspects were baseless.

Executive Magistrate (Saddar) Malik Farrukh Nadeem, after hearing the arguments from both the petitioners and the state prosecutor, acquitted the suspects from all charges.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Bukhari said a total of nine FIRs had been lodged at various police stations against around 323 PTI workers and supporters. He said all the cases had been clubbed together for trial and that they all those implicated were acquitted.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2017.