ATC reserves verdict in Shahzeb Khan murder case

It also upheld its decision to declare suspect Shahrukh Jatoi an adult.

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court reserved on Monday the verdict in Shahzeb Khan murder case till June 7 after hearing arguments from all the counsels in the case. The court also upheld the decision to declare Shahrukh Jatoi an adult and dismissed the application seeking concessions in the case that he was a minor.

Shahrukh, Nawab Siraj Ali Talpur, his brother Nawab Sajjad Ali Talpur and their servant Ghulam Murtaza Lashari have been charged with killing 20-year-old Shahzeb on December 24 last year.

Following the high court’s order to decide the application regarding Shahrukh’s age before the final verdict, the anti terrorism court heard the defence’s plea for trial under juvenile law. After examining the records again, the court upheld the decision of the medical board which had declared Shahrukh an adult.

The documents that were scrutinised again include certificates from educational institutions, passports and B form. They were presented before the Judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon of the ATC-III, who is holding the trial following an apex court ruling to conclude the trial as soon as possible. The defence and state counsels as well as the counsels for the complainant had completed rebuttal arguments in the case on May 30.  The case was adjourned till next hearing.

While opposing the application for a fresh inquiry into Shahrukh’s age, Waseem Iqbal, a counsel of the complainant, told The Express Tribune there were several contradictions in the documents and the matter had already been discussed in court. “The court dismissed the application and upheld the unanimous decision of the medical board that Shahrukh was an adult.”

While talking to The Express Tribune, Iqbal said the advocate for complainant, Faisal Siddiqui, has continuously been getting life threats from the ‘accused party’ and registered the complaint to the police. The police after entering Roznamcha entry deployed police guards for his security, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2013.