Protection of Pakistan Act: Special prosecutor appointed

Shuja Khanzada case had been delayed because the post was vacant

RAWALPINDI: The government has finally appointed a prosecutor for a special court set up under the Protection of Pakistan Act 2014 which will also hear the Shuja Khanzada murder case.

Special judicial magistrate Shahid Hameed Chaudhary wrote a letter to the government for the appointment of the prosecutor on January 9. Zille Sibtain Aamir will be the temporary prosecutor for the court. The special court, established over three months ago, has heard no case yet because the post was vacant.

A suspect believed to be involved in the attack on slain Punjab Home Minister Shuja Khanzada could not be charge-sheeted due to absence of the prosecutor.

Counter-terrorism department (CTD) of the Punjab Police had arrested Qasim Muawia, the suspect, and obtained his physical remand from the court on September 29, 2015.

Investigation officer Muhammad Khan told the special judicial magistrate Shahid Hameed Chaudhary on Tuesday that the police had completed investigation. He said the challan was in scrutiny phase and would be submitted at the next hearing.

Chaudhary has extended Muawia’s judicial remand till February 2.

In the challan, the police have declared Qari Sohail, an absconder, mastermind of the attack while Muawia has been described as a facilitator.

Khanzada and 19 others had been killed in a suicide blast on August 16, 2015, at his political office in Shadi Khan, near Attock.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2016.