Rimsha case: IHC adjourns hearing of plea seeking annulment of FIR

IHC adjourns hearing till October 17 due to absence of complainant Hammad Malik's counsel.

ISLAMABAD: Due to the absence of the complainant’s counsel, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of a petition seeking nullification of an FIR registered against Christian girl, Rimsha on blasphemy charges till October 17.

Complainant Hammad Malik had moved the petition through his counsel Advocate Abdul Hameed Rana, contending that the case was based on mala fide intentions.

During the last hearing, IHC Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman had issued fresh notices to the station house officer of Ramna Police Station, the investigation officer and the complainant, after their counsel said they had not received the previous notices.

The assistant judicial registrar had informed the court that the petitioner had not submitted the special messenger’s fee. The court then passed the order and had adjourned the case till October 1.

On September 24, Rimsha’s case was sent to a juvenile court after a medical report established that she was 14 years old. The girl was arrested on August 16 for allegedly burning a primer, a booklet used to familiarise children with Arabic as written in the the Holy Quran.

The Ramna Police Station had registered a case against her after a restless mob led by a cleric assembled outside the station.