An Islamabad district and sessions court has acquitted former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in a case where he had accused former President Asif Ali Zardari of orchestrating a plot to assassinate former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Judicial Magistrate Yasir Mehmood delivered the verdict today, dismissing the case against Sheikh Rashid. The court had reserved its judgment on his acquittal plea the previous day.
Sheikh Rashid’s legal troubles began on February 2, when he made public allegations against Zardari. A complaint was filed by Raja Inayat, a local leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), in response to these claims.
The Abpara Police Station registered a case against Sheikh Rashid under sections 120-B, 153-A, and 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which relate to conspiracy and incitement. The case was initiated by the vice president of PPP’s Rawalpindi division, accusing Rashid of attempting to incite public unrest through his statements about a supposed assassination plot against Imran Khan.
With the court’s acquittal, Sheikh Rashid has been cleared of all charges in this case.
