Case alleging Nawaz involvement in PTI workers’ killing dismissed

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court has quashed the case filed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who accused Pakistan’s Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) top leadership of killing several Pakistani Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) employees in violence during the Islamabad sit-in in 2014.

Nawaz:

Terming the accusation invalid, the court’s thorough decision annulled it and pointed out that Mr. Qureshi did not investigate the case with the police after its filing, nor did he ever include a list of facts to substantiate charges against the leadership of the PML-N, including then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former ministers Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Khawaja Saad Rafique, and then Chief Minister Rafique. Others who were identified in the complaint included former acting inspector general of Islamabad Police Khalid Khattak and other officials of the police and the district administration of Islamabad.

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The court observed that the matter was extensively questioned and the police came to the conclusion that the demonstrators, who resorted to assault, wanted to seize state buildings and target security officers.” Several police officers suffered injuries as a result. The request/complaint, without merit, was considered to be invalid.

“In addition, in the court decision, ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan noted that “notice of the cancellation report was issued to complainant Shah Mehmood Qureshi, but despite repeated service complainants, they failed to appear before the court.

ATC says complainant Qureshi failed to provide evidence

The record reveals that after repeated warnings under section 160 of the Code of Criminal Practice, neither the defendant appeared before the investigating officer nor provided evidence in support of the charges set out in the complaint,’ the order said, adding that it was not practicable to provide a list of witnesses or evidence before the ATC.

“It noted that no proof was put before the investigating officer to ascertain the involvement of suspected people at the scene of the crime. In addition, nothing evident has been reported to prove that accused individuals resorted to some kind of firing on political workers or used their power to order direct firing on the political workers gathered at D-Chowk.

‘The [complaint] cancellation report submitted… on April 27, 2015, however the plaintiff party or its accomplices had not disputed the veracity of the order before the proper venue to date,’ the court verdict said.

Moreover the court order claimed that nothing to substantiate the claims of police mala fide had been brought to the record by the claimant.

Both the above-mentioned facts and circumstances led this court to infer that no incriminating information was reported in the form of cogent testimony of inherent value to suggest the commission of a crime. This court considers itself in accordance with the cancellation report,’ said the ruling.