Benazir Murder Case: ATC told to hold daily hearing

Justice Mazhar Ali Akhbar Naqvi, Justice Ali Baqir Najafi of the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench issued these directives.

RAWALPINDI:

The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday directed the trial court in Benazir Bhutto’s murder case to conduct hearings daily in the long pending case and conclude the trial within three months.

Justice Mazhar Ali Akhbar Naqvi and Justice Ali Baqir Najafi of the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench issued these directives while disposing of the petition submitted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking swift completion of the trial which has been pending for the last
six years.

Special Public Prosecutor FIA Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali approached the high court requesting that the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) carry out day to day hearings in the case, due to the defence counsel obtaining undue adjournments.

Arguing his case before the high court, Ali contended that under the ATA the trial judge was directed not to allow two consecutive adjournments and if the defence lawyers did not appear in the court the judge could appoint a state counsel for the accused.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2013.