Imran Khan: Pakistan court acquits Imran Khan, two cases registered during protest march in 2022

Imran Khan: A Pakistani court on Monday acquitted jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other leaders of his party. Cases of vandalism were registered against Imran Khan and other party leaders during a protest march in 2022.

The 71-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founder was ousted in April 2022. The founder has been facing charges since his ouster and has been in jail since August last year after pleading guilty in some of the 200 cases.

The District and Sessions Court in Islamabad has acquitted Imran Khan, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former communications minister Murad Saeed and other PTI leaders in two cases of vandalism during the 'Hakiki Azadi' march, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

The 71-year-old founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has been in jail since August last year. He was jailed in April 2022 after pleading guilty to some of the nearly 200 charges brought against him after he was ousted from power.

In May 2022, former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan led a procession from Lahore to Islamabad, aimed at toppling the coalition government of Shehbaz Sharif. This government came to power when Imran Khan was removed as Prime Minister after a no-confidence vote. The rally was part of the PTI's struggle to achieve "real freedom" and free the nation from the "slavery" of the "US-backed" coalition government. Khan accused the coalition government of coming to power through a "US-backed conspiracy". At the time, Islamabad police registered separate cases against 150 people, including Khan, Qureshi and other party leaders, on charges of arson and vandalism in the federal capital.

Earlier this month, a judicial magistrate in Islamabad also acquitted Khan in two cases of vandalism during his party's two long marches in 2022. Judicial Magistrate Shaista Kundi heard pleas filed by the former prime minister in the case registered at Loho Bhair and Sahala police stations in Islamabad and related to his presence in court.