Pakistan court acquits Imran Khan, his close aides in Section 144 violation case

A supporter of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), reacts as he along with others attend a rally demanding his release in Swabi, Pakistan on November 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

In a relief to Imran Khan, a Pakistani court on Wednesday (November 13, 2024) acquitted the former prime minister and his close aides in a case involving Section 144 violations.

A district and sessions court in Islamabad dismissed the charges, acquitting Khan, Sheikh Rashid, Asad Qaiser, Saifullah Niazi, Sadaqat Abbasi, Faisal Javed, and Ali Nawaz.

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Sheikh Rashid, the head of the Awami Muslim League, was appointed Interior Minister during the Khan-led government.

The charges, which also included breaches of the Amplifier Act and other regulations, were dismissed by Judicial Magistrate Yasir Mahmood.

The case was filed on August 20, 2022, at Islamabad’s Aabpara police station, alleging violations of public order during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party-led demonstrations.

The dismissal of the case against Khan comes as a kind of relief for someone who has been incarcerated since August last year.

Dozens of cases have been registered against him since the dismissal of his government in April 2022.