Blasphemy accused shot dead in Peshawar’s judicial complex

An under-trial prisoner accused of blasphemy was shot dead inside a court in Peshawar’s Judicial Complex on Wednesday, officials said.

Tahir Ahmad Nasim, 47, had been escorted into court by police in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) capital when a man opened fire with a pistol.

The victim died on the spot while his 24-year-old attacker was arrested.

According to Cantt SP Hassan Jahangir, the incident took place in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Shaukatullah and the attacker was arrested from the site of the incident.

"We are reviewing the CCTV footage of the judicial complex in detail and also interrogating the suspect accordingly," said Jahangir. He further said that the police will share details of its investigation at a later time.

Nasim was first arrested in April 2018 after a local accused him of blasphemy.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against the under-trial prisoner in a local police station of Peshawar in 2018. According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the prisoner was charged with Sections 153 A, 295 B, and 295 C. The sections pertain to the country's blasphemy law.

The attacker, Khalid, a resident of the Peshawar Board area, was shifted to a police station soon after the incident for further investigation.

The murder weapon was also recovered from the accused, while local police officials are investigating how the attacker was able to smuggle a weapon into the court premises

After the incident, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Ali Gandapur visited the Judicial Complex and reviewed security arrangements while ordering an investigation into carrying arms inside the court.

Senior police officer Mansur Amaan also said authorities were investigating how the attacker managed to get his hands on a firearm inside a courtroom.

“He might have pulled the gun out of a policeman’s holster,” Amaan said.

(With input from AFP)