Shahzeb murder case: Special prosecutor replaced

Ex-prosecutor Abdul Maroof removed after remarking that the case did not qualify for prosecution in the local ATC.

KARACHI: A special public prosecutor of the Anti Terrorism Court (ATC), Abdul Maroof, was removed from the Shahzeb murder case as he considered the case did not qualify to enter the special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), Express News reported.

The Sindh government issued a notification stating Public Prosecutor Shahid Araein will now act as government’s advocate for the case.

Earlier on February 20, the police had submitted the final charge-sheet in the Shahzeb Khan’s murder case and issued challans to the convicted offender, Shahrukh Jatoi and his accomplices.

Judge Ghulam Mustafa  Memon of the ATC, however, directed the public prosecutor to place the charge-sheet on the court’s record after its legal scrutiny.

Shahrukh Jatoi, his friend Nawab Siraj Talpur, 22, Nawab Sajjad Talpur, 21, and their 23-year-old servant Ghulam Murtaza Lashari are facing charges of murdering 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan.

Earlier, the anti-terrorism court observed that the case fell under the domain of terrorism, as the “element of terrorism is visible.”

Judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon made this observation while accepting the final charge sheet against the four accused.

Maroof was earlier reported as saying, “this case doesn't qualify to enter the ATC’s special court and should be transferred to another court.”

Therefore, he has now been removed from the case.