Islamabad High Court Acquits Four PTI Workers in May 9 Arson Case

Islamabad:The **Islamabad High Court (IHC)** on Thursday acquitted four Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers — **Suhail, Akram, Shahzaib, and Meera Khan** — who were sentenced to **10 years in prison** in the May 9 arson and vandalism case.

A **division bench comprising Justice Azam Khan and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro** announced the decision after hearing arguments from both sides. The petitioners were represented by senior PTI lawyers **Babar Awan, Sardar Masroof, and Amna Ali**.

During the hearing, Babar Awan argued that out of the **nine prosecution witnesses**, only **one witness — ASI Muhammad Sharif — identified the accused.**
He added that while allegations of firing were made, **no one was injured**, and warned the court not to “make a mockery of justice.”

Justice Khadim Soomro questioned the prosecution:

> “If you have evidence, present it now.”

The prosecution replied that **evidence existed but more time was needed**. They termed the incident an act of “terrorism” since a **police station was attacked.**

The court, however, rejected the plea for more time, stating:

> “You should have asked for time at the beginning. We’ve already heard all arguments.”

The bench observed that **no medical legal certificates (MLCs)** were submitted, and **no injuries were reported**. It further noted that none of the witnesses confirmed the accused’s **presence at the crime scene**.

> “Will the court now issue convictions based solely on an identification parade?” the court questioned.

Consequently, the **IHC overturned the conviction** and ordered the **release of all four PTI workers**.

The verdict came after the accused challenged the ruling of **Islamabad’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC)**, where **Judge Tahir Abbas Supra** had sentenced them to **10 years imprisonment on May 30** under a case registered at **Ramna Police Station.**