Blasphemy accused denied bail

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday dismissed the post-arrest bail application of an accused in a blasphemy case, while directing the trial court to conclude proceedings within two months.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the petition and, after considering arguments from both sides, rejected the request for Hassan Abid's bail and ordered that the trial be expedited.

During the hearing, defence counsel Advocate Hadi Ali informed the court that on October 8, the IHC had instructed the Director General of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to ensure the attendance of all witnesses. However, despite the court's directive, several witnesses had failed to appear.

He added that the trial court had subsequently issued arrest warrants for the absent witnesses, while cross-examination of those present had been completed.

The counsel further noted that the charge-sheet in the case of Zaeem Zulfiqar had yet to be submitted and that the investigating officer (IO) had not appeared before the court.

In response, state counsel Adil Aziz Qazi maintained that the IO had attended the two previous hearings.

When the court inquired about the duration of the accused's detention, the defence counsel stated that Hassan had been in custody for one year and seven months.