Pakistan
President Arif Alvi acquitted in Parliament attack case
An Islamabad anti-terrorism court has acquitted President Arif Alvi in the 2014 Parliament House and Pakistan Television attack case.
At a hearing on Tuesday, the court, in its final verdict, cleared PTI leaders Asad Umar, Jahangir Tareen Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Shafqat Mahmood, Aleem Khan, Pervaiz Khattak, Saifullah Niazi, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Raja Khurram Nawaz among others of all the charges too.
At the previous hearing, President Alvi said that he wanted the presidential immunity granted to him removed.
Proceedings against the president were earlier suspended underArticle 248(2) of the Constitution. It states: No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the president or a governor in any court during his term of office.
On March 4, Dr Alvi said that he has studied Islamic literature and found no exceptions were granted to leaders.
2014 dharna case
On August 31, 2014, workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek had marched towards the Parliament House and Prime Minister House clashing with the police deployed there.
Over 50 protesters from both the parties were booked for attacking and injuring SSP Asmatullah Junejo the next day.
The police, subsequently, went to the ant-terrorism court against PTI leaders Imran Khan, Arif Alvi, Asad Umar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shafqat Mehmood and Raja Khurram Nawaz for “inciting violence during the 2014 sit-in”.
The prosecution claimed three people were killed and 26 injured and argued that the protest was not peaceful.
In addition to unidentified attackers, police had also nominated PTI founder Imran Khan and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri as accused in the case. They were later declared proclaimed offenders by the court in November 2014 for not appearing despite multiple warrants and warnings.
In 2018, Prime Minister Imran Khan were granted permanent exemption in the case after his lawyer Babar Awan promised to appear at every hearing on his behalf. Meanwhile, proceedings against the president were suspended until he hold office.
