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       ISLAMABAD: Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Mohammad Afzal Majuka has dismissed a petition to register a case against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and others for allegedly firing at a PTI protest on November 26 last year.

       During the hearing on Saturday, the petitioner’s counsel requested a brief adjournment, citing the absence of the senior lawyer.

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       The lawyer argued that they had the right to file a cross-version under Section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code but were denied basic legal rights.

       The lawyer claimed that the petitioner’s client attempted to record a statement at the police station but was allegedly arrested illegally.

       Court says petition filed without death certificate; 113 suspects remanded in Nov 26 protest case

       The court questioned the absence of a death certificate in the application, to which the lawyer responded that collecting such records was not their responsibility.

       The court also noted that the petition did not directly name PM Shehbaz or Mr Naqvi.

       Additionally, the court highlighted jurisdictional concerns, referencing the dismissal of a previous application filed under Section 164 in Peshawar and a request for exhumation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

       The prosecutor dismissed the allegations as baseless, remarking that the petitioner was making claims without proving the death of the alleged victims.

       He added that naming high-profile figures in such cases required substantial evidence.

       The court ultimately reserved its verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.

       Later, ADSJ Majuka announced the decision to dismiss the petition, citing a lack of evidence and procedural shortcomings.

       The petition was filed by a citizen, Gul Khan, who alleged that his son and others were killed during the PTI protest and sought legal action against top government officials.

       Remand

       In a related development, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Rawalpindi handed over the custody of 113 suspects of Nov 26 protest to Islamabad Police on transit remand.

       Since 17 of them were already granted bail by the ATC Rawalpindi, the suspects were requested to be withheld at Attock Jail for the course of the investigation at the request of Islamabad Police.

       One of these suspects was admitted to hospital. The rest were brought to Islamabad, where they will be interrogated in connection with the FIRs registered in multiple police stations.

       Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2025