A district and sessions court in Islamabad has dismissed a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, seeking the registration of an FIR against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and several senior government officials over the events of the November 26 protest.
In a detailed 17-page written judgment, Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka ruled that the petitioner failed to provide sufficient and legally admissible evidence to justify the registration of a criminal case.
According to the verdict, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was given multiple opportunities to appear before the court and record his statement as an eyewitness, but he did not testify despite repeated chances. The court also noted that no eyewitnesses or documentary evidence were presented to support the allegations.
The petition claimed that 12 people were killed and more than 38 PTI supporters were injured during the November 26 protest. However, the court observed that no post-mortem reports, death certificates, medical records, photographs, videos, or forensic evidence were submitted to verify these claims.
The judgment emphasized that criminal proceedings against senior public officials cannot be initiated solely on verbal allegations and require credible, legally admissible evidence. The court further noted that if the petitioner believed government institutions were not cooperating, legal remedies such as requesting further investigation or other judicial procedures were available but were not pursued.
Among those named in the petition were Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Information Minister Atta Tarar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Islamabad IGP Ali Nasir, DIG Operations Ali Raza, SSP Operations Zeeshan Haider, and other officials.
