Zakir to seek in-camera session
Zahir Jaffer being taken into police custody. PHOTO: Screengrab
The lawyer of Zahir Jaffer’s father told the court that he would seek a plea requesting an in-camera hearing in the Noor Mukadam murder case. Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi, representing Zakir Jaffer, said this on Thursday.
The first hearing of the trial against the gruesome murder was conducted by District and Sessions Judge Atta Rabbani.
The prime suspect, his parents and three domestic workers appeared before the court. The lawyer told the court that the six other accused who are Therapy Works' staffers are on bail and the court should issue them a notice.
Judge Rabbani remarked that the remaining accused are being called at the next hearing and copies of the challan will be distributed when they appear in court.
Read Dr Tahir seeks action against Zahir, parents
The lawyer stated they would register a request for an in-camera hearing. The judge said that he would decide in accordance with the law once the in-camera request is filed.
The court inquired about the lawyers of Asmat Adamjee and Zahir. Abbasi said he did not know who was representing the prime suspect, adding that the lawyer of domestic workers will be one of them.
The court has also summoned all under trial suspects, including the employees of Therapy Works, in the next hearing on September 23. They will be provided with copies of the charge sheets.
Meanwhile in Rawalpindi, an area magistrate rejected the police’s plea for physical remand of a female co-accused in the seminary molestation case. Instead, the court sent the female teacher of the seminary, Ishrat, to Adiala Jail on a two-week judicial remand.
The court said that there was no basis for awarding physical remand of the female suspect. It added that the police did not recover anything from her possession when she was in their custody. Ishrat will be presented in court again on September 22.
The area magistrate also extended the physical remand of the madrasa principal, Mufti Shahnawaz, by two days. The suspect’s lawyer, Talat Masood, argued that the seminary head remained in police custody for 10 days, inclusive of a week of the physical remand period.
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He said that the police have not recovered the pistol from the suspect so far and maintained that it was never there.
Senators’ body to probe IIUI incidents
A special sub-committee comprising three senators has been formed to probe into the recent incidents at International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI). The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training was held under the chairmanship of Senator Irfanul Haq Siddiqui on Thursday.
The special panel will be headed by Senator Rukhsana Zubair and comprise Senator Khalid Shaheen Butt and Senator Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry.
The committee has been asked to review the investigation report prepared by the university on the murder of a student and the rape incident.
The panel will also evaluate to what extent the recommendations of the investigation report have been implemented.
The members of the sub-committee have been asked to submit a comprehensive report regarding their recommendations to the standing committee within two months after the first meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2021.