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Saturday September 07, 2024

Court acquits 197 members of Baloch solidarity committee

Accused had given a call to reach Red Zone and instructed protesters to not allow anyone to enter the Prime Minister’s House: says Court

By Khalid Iqbal
July 27, 2024
This image shows Baloch marchers staging a sit-in in Islamabad on December 20, 2023. — X/@sommulbaloch
This image shows Baloch marchers staging a sit-in in Islamabad on December 20, 2023. — X/@sommulbaloch

ISLAMABAD: The district and sessions court Friday acquitted 197 members of Baloch Solidarity Committee, as the prosecution failed to differentiate between those responsible for the sit-in and the innocent students.

The court said, the accused had given a call to reach the Red Zone and instructed the protesters to not allow anyone to enter the Prime Minister’s House, Supreme Court, President’s House, etc. According to the case, the accused also tried to spread incitement against the institutions. The Baloch Solidarity Committee staged a sit-in for 23 days.

The prosecution said despite being stopped, the protesters tried to enter the Red Zone, pelted stones, engaged with the police and resorted to vandalism but failed to prove interference in the government affairs.

The prosecution named a total of 197 students as accused but failed to differentiate between the real accused and the innocent students.

The judge observed that there was no possibility of conviction and conducting the trial will only waste the court time.