PESHAWAR, Sept 25: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Tuesday stayed the trial in the murder case of Anwer Ali Akhundzada, the then secretary-general of the banned Tehrik-i-Jafria Pakistan, on the request of one of the accused.

The bench comprising Justice Khalida Rachied and Justice Qazi Ahsanullah Qureshi admitted the writ petition of Shehzad Gul, one of the accused, and issued notice to the government. The accused has been facing trial with two other persons allegedly belonging to another banned organization.

Abdul Samad Khan appeared for the accused-petitioner and argued that the anti-terrorism courts in the NWFP were set up in March and at the time of Akhundzada’s murder the said courts were not in existence.—Bureau