Sindh govt to approach SHC against ATC judge over ‘irregularities’ in Mustafa Amir case

The provincial government on Thursday announced approaching the Sindh High Court (SHC) against alleged irregularities conducted by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge in the Mustafa Amir murder case.

Amir, a 23-year-old, was kidnapped and allegedly murdered by his friends in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on January 6. According to the police, the youth’s friends stuffed his body in the trunk of his car and torched it in the Hub area of Balochistan. Earlier this month, police arrested Armaghan for injuring policemen in an attempt to resist his detention in connection with Amir’s kidnapping case. Another suspect, Armaghan’s friend Sheraz aka Shavez Bukhari, was remanded in police custody by an ATC last week.

Sindh Acting Prosecutor-General Muntazir Mehdi had filed revision applications in the SHC, challenging the ATC orders denying the police Armaghan’s physical custody and sending him on judicial remand instead. Another application was also filed against an ATC order on the plea of the suspect’s father against a raid at his residence.

Armaghan was remanded in police custody after the SHC on Tuesday set aside an impugned order of an administrative ATC judge, who had earlier sent the suspect to prison on judicial remand.

In a statement issued today, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar said the ATC judge had conducted “irregularities” in connection with the case. “We are sending a letter to the SHC chief justice about this,” he added.

He said there were also “rumours and fabricated narratives” being circulated about the case.

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“Legal proceedings may be initiated under Peca over rumours and concocted narratives,” the home minister warned. He also vowed to take action against the policemen who committed “negligence” during the investigation of the case and other matters.

He directed the police to conduct an investigation into all aspects of the case on merit and in the utmost impartial manner.

“We have kept a strict eye on the case and its investigation,” Lanjar said, adding that the culprits would be taken to task irrespective of their influence.

The statement added that the Crime Investigation Agency deputy inspector general of police also briefed the home minister on the investigation, saying that Lanjar gave orders for the case’s early resolution.

He said that he had immediately taken notice of the incident as it occurred.