FIR dismissed against PTI chairman in Quetta lawyer murder case

A two-judge panel of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) ruled on Monday to dismiss the FIR that had named PTI Chairman Imran Khan as a suspect in the murder case of senior Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar.

The verdict was announced in response to a plea by the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF).

The bench, consisting of BHC Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Gul Hasan Tareen, invalidated the murder case and put a hold on the arrest warrant that had been issued for Khan by a judicial magistrate.

Imran Khan’s counsel, Naeem Haider Panjutha, shared the outcome on Twitter, expressing gratitude that the court had dismissed the FIR against PTI chairman.

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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

He celebrated this as a vindication for PTI chairman in what he referred to as a false case.

The incident involved the murder of senior SC lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar, who was fatally shot by unidentified individuals on Airport Road in Quetta, Balochistan, earlier this year.

The FIR had implicated PTI chairman and others based on a complaint filed by the deceased lawyer’s son, Advocate Siraj Ahmed.

The charges brought against Khan included murder and violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), among other provisions.

PTI chairman took the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking the quashing of the FIRs against him. The apex court granted him relief by preventing authorities from arresting him.

Just last week, the Supreme Court upheld its order to prevent the arrest of the PTI chairman in connection with the murder case.

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial led a three-judge bench that addressed the petition contesting Khan’s inclusion in the FIR.

Abdul Razzaq Shar had filed a court petition before his death, suggesting that treason proceedings be initiated against Imran Khan for his alleged unconstitutional dissolution of the National Assembly following his vote of no confidence in April 2022.