PTI Faisalabad: Stay on murder trial extended

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Monday extended the stay order against trial of the accused of a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) activist who was killed in Faisalabad on December 8. The stay was issued on a petition challenging the report of a joint investigation team which had exonerated State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali and former law minister Rana Sanaullah from the charges.  Nawaz was killed during a PTI rally in Faisalabad on allegedly by some Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers. The government’s counsel sought time to file a reply and the bench adjourned hearing till March 24. Police had nominated Abid Sher Ali, Rana Sanaullah, his son-in-law Rana Sheharyar, Faisalabad DCO Noorul Amin Mengal among 300 other suspects in the FIR. Atta Muhammad, the victim’s brother, challenged the JIT report. He said the JIT did not interrogate those nominated in the FIR.  He said the JIT had violated the law by not investigating the nominated suspects. The petitioner asked the court to set aside JIT’s report and order a fresh investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2015.