Transferring murder case: Court adjourns case, asks home secretary to submit reply

Former provincial minister, sons had requested to shift proceeding from Charsadda to Peshawar.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has adjourned a hearing for transferring a murder case from Charsadda to Peshawar.

Bashir Khan Umarzai, an ANP member and former provincial minister, had filed an application before the PHC requesting to transfer the alleged murder case of former MPA Alamzeb Umarzai.

Bashir and his three sons are accused of murdering Alamzeb by his (Alamzeb’s) brother Hidayat Umarzai. All four men were granted bail last year after which they filed an application to transfer the case to Peshawar citing security concerns.

Bashir Khan’s attorney Barrister Zahoorul Haq told the court that his client was attacked while he was on his way to Charsadda district court for the hearing. He added that as both groups attend the proceedings and are present during the case, threats to security are bound to arise.

Zahoorul Haq further said that not only the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government but the Charsadda district administration has also requested to shift the hearing for the same reasons.



Counsel for Hidayat Moazzam Butt, however, argued that since Bashir Khan was an ANP leader, he has the support of the provincial government.

He said the district management provides tight security during hearings and only two people from both groups are allowed to enter the court. He added that if the case is transferred to Peshawar, his client’s life would be in danger.



Additional Advocate General Naveed Akhtar also said the provincial government and Charsadda’s district management are requesting to transfer the case. After listening to arguments from both sides, the bench adjourned the hearing with directions to the home secretary to submit his reply into the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2013.