In a major development and a big win for PTI, President Dr. Arif Alvi, along with several federal ministers, has been acquitted in the parliamentary attack case.
The federal ministers include Planning Minister Asad Umar, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood, and Provincial Minister Shaukat Yousufzai.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge Mohammad Ali Warraich announced the ruling today. Furthermore, the ATC also acquitted now disgruntled members of the PTI, Jahangir Khan Tareen, and Aleem Khan.
Read more: Accountability: Aleem Khan’s remand extended
Important to note, the Constitution of Pakistan granted immunity to the President. However, President Dr. Arif waived it and appeared before the court as an ordinary man.
“Why should the president have immunity? Everyone is equal in Pakistan,” Dr. Arif Alvi had said while talking to the media.
PM Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi have been acquitted in the 2014 Parliament attack case.
PTI leaders Asad Umer, Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mehmood, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Saifullah Niazi have also been acquitted. PMLN’s stands defeated.
— Virk Shahzaib (@VirkSh786) March 15, 2022
Interestingly, the acquittal comes at a time when the PTI-led government is preparing to counter the Opposition against the no-trust move.
2014 Parliament House attack
Hundreds of protesters allegedly belonging to the PTI and PAT stormed the Parliament House and PTV headquarters. They allegedly forced its staff to take two of the state broadcaster’s flagship channels — PTV News and PTV World — off the air. The protestors clashed with police deployed on Constitution Avenue.
As a result, the police invoked sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act against now PM Khan and other leaders including the incumbent president Dr. Arif Alvi, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, and Planning Minister Asad Umar for inciting violence during the sit-in.
In 2018, President Arif Alvi filed an application seeking acquittal in the PTV and Parliament attack case. Similarly, during the previous proceedings, the prime minister’s counsel Abdullah Babar Awan filed written arguments seeking the PM’s acquittal.
Read more: Parliament attack case 2014: Why was PM Imran acquitted?
The court then acquitted PM Khan in 2020. The arguments maintained that there was no evidence against the prime minister’s involvement in the case. Moreover, as per media reports, no eyewitness had come forward regarding this.
President Arif Alvi, Foregn Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and top PTI leadership acquitted in 2014 Parliament Attack case. Question which remain unanswered is who attacked the Parliament on that day?
— Mazhar Abbas (@MazharAbbasGEO) March 15, 2022