Anti-terror court acquits ASWJ leader Aurangzeb Farooqi

The acquittal comes after the counsel failed to present preponderant evidence against the Farooqi

An anti-terrorism court in Sargodha on Friday acquitted Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqi, a leader of the proscribed Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) formerly Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), in a loudspeaker violation case on Friday.

The acquittal came after the counsel failed to present incriminating evidence against the Farooqi.

Farooqi, who heads the Karachi chapter of ASWJ in addition to being the group's secretary-general, was arrested from Taxila on June 6 while heading to Havelian on a personal visit.

Read: Aswj leader’s arrest: Charge-sheet submitted in ATC

On July 7, a special anti-terrorism court had indicted him for spreading religious hatred.

The court also issued notices for recording statements of witnesses on August 6. On June 29, Officials of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) submitted a charge-sheet against the ASWJ leader and party’s district president Tanvir Alam Farooqi in the ATC.