ATC adjourns Fahad Malik murder case till January 8

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad has heard the murder case of Barrister Fahad Malik and directed accused persons to submit the questionnaire in next hearing, ARY News reported on Friday.

The hearing was resumed by ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan where the accused persons including Raja Arshad, Noman Yaqoob and Raja Hashim have appeared.

The court has handed over a questionnaire to the accused persons regarding the statements under section 342 and directed them for its submission till January 8.

A co-accused Raja Hashim pleaded the anti-terrorism court to remove terrorism charges against him which was rejected by ATC judge.

Later, the hearing was adjourned till January 8.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Supreme Court had rejected an appeal in February last year seeking removal of terrorism charges from the Barrister Fahad Malik murder case.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Manzoor Malik dismissed the appeal filed by an accused person who approached the apex court against the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) verdict, ruling in favour of the inclusion of Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act in the murder case.

Barrister Fahad Malik was murdered on Margalla Road in a densely populated area of Islamabad allegedly by accused Noman Khokhar, Raja Arshad and Hashim Khan almost three years ago, while discharging his legal duties as a lawyer, to reach a compromise between two parties.

Last year in July, the Islamabad High Court set aside anti-terrorism court (ATC)’s directives to remove terrorism charges and transfer Barrister Fahad Malik murder case to a district and sessions court.