Petition to transfer activist’s case dismissed

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism judge dismissed on Thursday an application seeking the transfer of Waqas Shah's murder trial to a regular court, observing that the case fell within the ambit of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

Shah, a young activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was shot dead during a protest which began after a paramilitary raid at the party headquarters, Nine Zero, on March 11 last year.

The application was filed by the defence counsel, representing the accused, Asif Ali, who has been held for the murder. The counsel argued that the offence did not meet the circumstances set in the ATA and therefore cannot be tried in the special court.

Ali is also an MQM worker. He has been accused of murdering his party colleague, allegedly to create ground for accusation against the Rangers who conducted the raid.

The prosecutor, tasked with the case, opposed the application and submitted that the accused was already indicted in the case and witnesses had deposed their statements against him during the trial.

After hearing arguments from both the sides, the ATC-IX judge rejected the application and fixed May 16 for recording the statement of the accused.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2016.