Court dismisses appeal to transfer accused’s bail pleas

A local court dismissed on Thursday a petition seeking the transfer of bail pleas of the accused in the Arzoo Masih case to another court.

The petition, filed by Arzoo’s family, was rejected by the South district and sessions judge during the hearing at Karachi City Court.

At the hearing, Arzoo’s family expressed a lack of confidence in the additional district and sessions judge’s court.

“The court had made objectionable remarks in its ruling over the accused’s bail plea and [Arzoo’s family] do not expect to get justice from it,” the petitioners’ counsel said, moving the court to transfer the bail pleas to another court.

However, the court dismissed the petition.

Arzoo, a Christian girl around 14 years of age, was allegedly forcibly converted to Islam and married to a middle-aged man, Ali Azhar.

Separately, a local court granted bail against surety of Rs50,000 each to five accused of vandalism during an anti-encroachment drive along Mehmoodabad nullah.

Baloch Colony Police had registered a case, including sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), against them, but an anti-terrorism court later ordered the exclusion of ATA provisions from the case, stating that a judicial magistrate would hear it.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2020.