Blasphemy case: Court reserves judgment over Khalid Jadoon's bail plea

Court adjourns hearing till October 11, directs Jadoon's counsel to consult IHC.

ISLAMABAD: A District and Sessions Court in Islamabad on Wednesday reserved judgment over a bail plea filed by prayer leader Khalid Jadoon Chishti, implicated in a blasphemy case against Christian girl Rimsha Masih, Express News reported.

Chishti’s counsel Syed Wajid Ali Gilani asked if the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) stay on the trial court proceedings against Rimsha had any effect on his bail plea.

The court directed him to consult the IHC in this regard and adjourned hearing till October 11.

It was reported earlier that the court will announce the judgment at 11:30am, today.

Chishti's counsel in the court asked if the Islamabad High Court's stay on the trial court proceedings against Rimsha had any affect on his bail plea, over which the court said that it did not.

Earlier, the three witnesses who had testified against Chishti had withdrawn their statements, insisting that the police had “coerced” them into doing so.

In their affidavits before the court, witnesses Hafiz Owais, Khurram Shahzad and Danish Ahmed had reneged from their previously-recorded statements, claiming these were recorded under duress.

According to their new affidavits, they did not see prayer leader Chishti desecrating pages from the Holy Quran and adding them to the evidence against Rimsha.