PTI chief cleared of murder charges

ISLAMABAD: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) ruled on Monday to dismiss a first information report (FIR) that had been lodged against the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in connection with the murder case of prominent Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar.

Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Gul Hasan Tareen of the BHC jointly announced the verdict in response to a plea submitted by the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF).

The court’s decision led to the suspension of the arrest warrant that had been issued for Khan by a judicial magistrate.

Naeem Panjutha, the attorney representing Khan, expressed relief on the messaging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), stating, “God be praised.” Panjutha further stated that the court had dismissed the charges pertaining to the lawyer’s murder in the southern city of Quetta.

الحمدوللہ عمران خان صاحب کے خلاف کوئٹہ میں بجلی روڈ تھانہ میں درج FIR عدالت نے خارج کر دی ہے ،ایک دفعہ پھر ایک جھوٹے کیس میں عمران خان صاحب سرخروع ہوۓ ،انصاف کی جیت تمام پاکستان کو مبارک.

— Naeem Haider Panjutha (@NaeemPanjuthaa) August 28, 2023

The incident under scrutiny involved the assassination of the senior Supreme Court lawyer on Airport Road in Quetta, Balochistan, by unidentified assailants in June of this year.

The former Prime Minister who was ousted following a no-confidence vote in April, had been implicated in the murder case.