ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Thursday filed an acquittal plea in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in a case pertaining to attack on Pakistan Television (PTV) and Parliament buildings during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) sit-in in 2014.
The ATC judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi, resuming the hearing of the case, accepted the exemption from the hearing by four Federal Ministers including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umer, Pervez Khattak, Shafqat Mehmood and a senior PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen.
The court also summoned them on the next date of hearing.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s counsel filed an acquittal plea under Section 265-k of Cr Pc for removing Qureshi’s name from the FIR.
The court also issued notices to prosecution for further discussion on acquittal pleas by the PTI and PAT leaders.
PTI leaders Ijaz Chaudhry, Saifullah, Asad Umer and others had filed acquittal pleas under Section 265 of Criminal Procedure Code as they pleaded that they were not directly involved in such cases.
The ATC is hearing two cases; attack on the State television building and the Parliament House against PTI and PAT leaders.
In August 2014, PTI and PAT were in Islamabad streets against alleged rigging in 2013 general election and Lahore Model Town incident.