The District and Sessions Court of Islamabad has acquitted 14 individuals, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in the May 9 cases registered at Thana Khanna.
The written order from Judicial Magistrate Sohaib Bilal stated that the prosecution's case was weak and lacked sufficient evidence to convict the accused.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi faced accusations of inciting others to commit acts of provocation. However, the court found that Section 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which deals with abetment, did not apply to Qureshi since no crime was committed as a result of his alleged incitement.
The court ruled that the evidence on record did not substantiate the charges against Qureshi or the other accused.
The court's decision highlighted that the charges against the accused, including Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and Section 144, were not adequately proven. Additionally, the complainant in the case was not the District Magistrate, which further weakened the prosecution's position.
As a result, the acquittal applications for Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the other thirteen accused were approved, and they were cleared of all charges related to the May 9 incidents.
