ISLAMABAD — An additional sessions court in Islamabad on Wednesday dismissed a private criminal complaint filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan concerning the alleged violent crackdown on the party’s November 26, 2024 protest. The ruling clears Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, senior cabinet ministers, and top police officials of all charges at the pre-summoning stage.
Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka threw out the petition right at the start of proceedings, pointing to a complete lack of tangible forensic evidence, medical documentation, or witness testimonies to support claims of excessive force and mass casualties.
An Islamabad additional district and sessions court dismissed a private complaint filed by the PTI against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, some key ministers and policemen over allegations of killing party workers during the November 26, 2024 protest at Islamabad D-Chowk.…
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Procedural Failures & Evidentiary Gaps
The court identified serious shortcomings under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), observing that even 19 months after the incident, the complainant had failed to meet basic legal requirements.
| Legal Requirement / Allegation | Court Finding & Procedural Status |
|---|---|
| Complainant Statement (Sec. 200 CrPC) | Barrister Gohar failed to record his statement on oath despite multiple opportunities. |
| Eyewitness Testimony | Key figures named as witnesses (Ali Amin Gandapur, Omar Ayub, Bushra Bibi) never appeared before the court. |
| Medical & Forensic Proof | No post-mortem reports for the 12 alleged deceased or medico-legal reports for 38 allegedly injured workers were submitted. |
| Summoning Criteria (Sec. 204 CrPC) | Court ruled no prima facie case was established; respondents were not required to enter a defense or appear. |
Judicial Rationale
In his detailed order, Judge Majoka stressed that private criminal complaints cannot be used to level serious allegations without solid foundational evidence. The court observed that no requests for exhumation had been filed by the legal heirs of the deceased to determine the actual cause of death. Citing Supreme Court precedent in Muhammad Rajar v. The State, the judge dismissed the petition.
The order acquits Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and Inspector General of Islamabad Police Ali Nasir Rizvi of all charges in the case.
