In cold blood: Final arguments made in ASI’s murder case

KARACHI: The defence counsel and the prosecution made their final arguments in a case involving the alleged murder of a police officer two years ago, ahead of the verdict.

The case is being heard by the Anti-Terrorism Court-II. The accused, Bilal Zafar Farooqui and Asad, are facing charges of murder and common intent, as well as have been charged under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

However, the case is fairly complicated given that the accused have been exonerated by a sessions court on charges of possessing the weapons that they reportedly used in the murder.

The ATC-II judge has asked both sides to look for precedents in such cases before the verdict date, set for next week.

These weapons possession charges emerged in a separate case of a police encounter, since Farooqui, who was an employee of the Crime Investigation Department, reportedly engaged in an episode of firing on police employees. The court also observed that there should have been an appeal in that case to make the way for a judgement in the case being heard at the ATC-II.

In their final arguments, the defence counsel for Farooqui and Asad questioned the weapons possession angle while the special public prosecutor for the ATC-II said he had produced witnesses who had testified that they had seen the weapon in question and had also put in an application. The defence counsel also questioned the exact dates when the Crime Investigation Department had arrested the two accused.

ASI Javed was going to the city courts complex from his police station when he was shot dead at Nishtar Road on October 5, 2010.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2012.