Charsadda police filed a case against Arshad Abdullah, accusing him of assaulting police officers. PHOTO: FILE
A single-member bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan took the decision after Abdullah’s counsel Advocate Abdul Latif Afridi informed the bench his client was not even present when the incident occurred on April 26.
Afridi further said in April, Utmanzai police arrested a man named Farid and recovered a pistol from his possession which was issued to another man named Zahoor. However, while registering an FIR, police claimed Abdullah along with 18 others came to the police station and assaulted officers.
“My client was busy elsewhere in an election rally when the alleged attack took place. He is a barrister by profession so how can he violate the law?” questioned Afridi.
“The FIR registered by the police against my client is not based on facts but on political basis,” claimed Afridi.
Counsel for the state told the bench the accused former minister and his accomplices entered the police station, released Farid from jail and assaulted police officials. “The FIR is based on facts and there is nothing political about the case,” he argued.
Justice Khan, upon hearing the arguments, remarked the charges filed by Utmanzai police against Abdullah had no legal basis and ordered all charges be dropped and the investigation concluded.
The case against Abdullah and 18 of his accomplices was registered on April 26. They appeared in a court in Charsadda on May 21 to avail interim bail however their application was rejected and they were arrested from the court’s premises.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2013.
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