LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Wednesday issued notices to Mustafa Kanju and others on an appeal of the Punjab government against their acquittal in the Zain murder case.

Additional Prosecutor General Abdul Samad submitted to the bench a DNA report that had confirmed that the blood stains on the clothes of Kanju’s one of the security guards matched with the victim’s blood sample.

The prosecutor said the DNA report was main evidence, which was not presented before the trial court while the suspects were acquitted.

He said many witnesses and the complainant refused to testify before the trial court that subsequently benefited Mustafa Kanju, the prime suspect, and others.

Relying on the DNA report, the bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi admitted the appeal of the prosecution and issued notices to Mustafa Kanju, son of former state minister Siddique Kanju, and other suspects.

An anti-terrorism court had on Oct 27 acquitted Mustafa Kanju and his guards of the charges of killing 16-year-old Zain and injuring another, Hasnain.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali had taken suo motu notice of the acquittal order and directed the prosecution to file an appeal against the acquittal.

ENCOUNTER: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered police to hand over dead bodies of two men who were killed in an alleged encounter in Okara, to their heirs, reports APP.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2015