Unjust acquittal: Judges refuse to hear case against MPA Abid Raza

Refers it to the chief justice for fixing it with the appropriate bench.

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench refused on Monday to hear the case of six murders against PML-N lawmaker Abid Raza and referred it to the chief justice for fixing it with the appropriate bench.

The bench headed by Justice Abdul Sami Khan said the matter involved clauses of the anti-terrorism act and a special division bench was already taking up such cases.

The court is revisiting the case on directions of the Supreme Court that has questioned how the accused was acquitted after compromise in a case registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997. Offences under the ATA are non-compoundable and suspects cannot be acquitted on reconciliation.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2017.