Court to try Atif for murdering Mureed Abbas under Model Court procedures

KARACHI: Putting Bol TV’s anchorperson Mureed Abbas murder case into the category of old cases, district and session judge South on Thursday issued schedule for its expeditious trial under the Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the Model Criminal Trial Court (MCTC).

Atif Zaman along with his brother Adil Zaman were charged with murdering Mureed Abbas and Khizar Hayat over a monetary dispute on the night of July 9, 2019, in the Khayaban-e-Bukhari area of Defence.

Judge Faraz Ahmed Chandio observed: “as the instant sessions case falls within the category of old cases on the board of this court, hence same is ordered to be proceeded under the SOPs of the MCTC.” The trial proceedings are being conducted in judicial complex, inside Central Prison Karachi

With the consent of the defence counsel and the prosecutor, the judge gave the schedule according to which the case will be proceed on a day-to-day basis from August 30. By September 14, the court will complete testimonies of the prosecution witnesses and by September 18 procedure of recording statements of defence witnesses will end. Thereafter, the final arguments from prosecution and defence sides will be heard and judgment will be pronounced on September 30.

Since January 9, 2020, the case has been pending for arraignment of the accused, primarily for accused Atif’s failure in engaging a counsel for his defence and for absence of accused Adil.

Finally, the court indicted Atif on February 20, 2021, after separating Adil’s case and putting it on dormant till his arrest or surrender.

In September 30 last year, Adil had escaped from Karachi registry of Supreme Court following revocation of bail granted to him by the Sindh High Court in both the cases.

Two cases were registered against Zaman brothers under the Sections 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with the Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and Section 23(i)-A of the Sindh Arms Act, 2013 at the Darakhshan police station on the complaints of the widows of both the victims.

An Anti-Terrorism Court later dropped anti-terrorism charges and remanded the case for murder trial by sessions court.