A Pakistani court dismissed murder abetment charges against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his lawyer said on Monday
In June, Khan was accused of aiding the murder of Supreme Court lawyer Abdul Razzaq, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in Quetta city.
The accusation came from Razzaq’s son, who alleged that Khan was involved in his father’s assassination.
“God be praised,” Khan’s lawyer Naeem Panjutha said in a post on X, the messaging platform formerly known as Twitter, celebrating the case dismissal.
Before his murder, Razzaq had submitted a court petition, urging for treason charges to be brought against Khan for unconstitutional dissolution of parliament after he faced a vote of no confidence in April 2022.
Khan lost power due to a falling out with Pakistan’s influential military. As he attempted to garner public backing, several cases were brought against him.
Amidst this political turmoil, Pakistan finds itself grappling with one of its most severe economic crises. A general election, initially anticipated for November, is likely to be postponed until at least the beginning of next year.
Khan is ineligible to run for office and has been prohibited from assuming any political position for a duration of five years.
On Monday, a high court in Islamabad is expected to deliver a verdict on Khan’s appeal to halt his conviction and three-year prison term for corruption.
