'Azadi March' vandalism case: Islamabad court acquits top PTI leaders

• Judicial Magistrate pronounces court verdict reserved earlier.
• Case was lodged at I-9 police station in Islamabad.
• Court also acquits Sadaqat Abbasi, Ali Nawaz Awan.

A local court in Islamabad on Thursday acquitted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) top leaders — Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid in the case pertaining to vandalism and rioting during the ‘Azadi March’ in 2022.

The court exonerated the politicos while announcing its reserved verdict on their acquittal pleas.

Judicial Magistrate Malik Muhammad Imran pronounced the verdict in the case lodged at I-9 police station of the federal capital related to the protest march launched by the opposition party in 2022, under the charges of vandalism and violation of Section 144.

The district and sessions court acquitted Sadaqat Abbasi and Ali Nawaz Awan too in the same case.

In November 2022, ‘Azadi March’ led by Khan along with other PTI leaders and supporters was carried out in several cities in Pakistan. The march ended with Khan’s announcement to dissolve the assemblies.

The PTI began its long march toward the federal capital on October 28, 2022 in an attempt to force the coalition government into early elections.