RAWALPINDI, July 24: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Tuesday acquitted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan of the escape from police custody case as the prosecution could not prove the allegation against him.

Shalimar police had booked the MNA and his 15 supporters on the charge of forcibly freeing Mr Anjum Aqeel from police custody in July 2011.

ATC judge Chaudhry Habibur Rehman observed that for the sake of arguments if the allegation against Mr Khan was true, even then it was also a fact that he had later voluntarily surrendered to the police. The 12 police officials, who were the witnesses of the prosecution and had earlier recorded their statements against the accused, also backtracked from the allegation.

The defence counsel argued that Mr Khan had not escaped from the police station but there were certain people who had forcedly taken him along.

He added that during the escape neither a single bullet was fired nor any of the police officials injured.

The other PML-N activists who were also acquitted of the case included Shaheen Khan, Malik Rabnawaz, Mohammad Amjad, Tahir Aziz, Nasir Jamal, Fakhar Zaman, Malik Akhtar, Mian Maqsood, Mohammad Azam, Khalid Abrar, Tabrez Khan, Mohammad Ramzan and Shahid Iqbal.