IHC acquits four convicted in May 9 cases

ISLAMABAD (Muhammad Ibrahim Abbasi): The Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted four accused convicted by the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in the May 9 violent incident.

This decision was given by a divisional bench comprising Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro and Justice Azam Khan.

The acquitted include Sohail Khan, Shahzeb, Akram, and Mira Khan. Sohail Khan and Shahzeb were represented by renowned lawyer Dr. Babar Awan.

During the hearing, Babar Awan told the court that the names of Sohail Khan and Shahzeb were not mentioned anywhere in the FIR, nor did any witness identify them during the identification parade.

He added that despite the witnesses who identified Muhammad Amir, he was discharged from the case, while there is no clear evidence against Sohail Khan.

Regarding Akram and Mira Khan, the lawyer also took the position that only one witness identified them, while the names of the witnesses who identified them were not included in the FIR.

The court also questioned the point that if sticks were recovered from the accused, why was no one injured? The court remarked that the prosecution could neither prove the presence of the accused at the scene nor produce a record of anyone being injured.

The prosecutor asked the court for more time, to which the court said that, after hearing all the arguments, it was not appropriate to give more time. The court said in its remarks that punishing only based on the identity parade would be an abuse of the justice system.

Finally, the court, after reviewing all the evidence and arguments, ordered the acquittal of Sohail Khan, Shahzeb, Akram, and Mira Khan.