HARIPUR: The Anti Terrorism Court Hazara on Monday rejected the bail applications of all the accused persons, including the two principal accused, in the Mashal Khan lynching case.

According to prosecution counsel Sardar Abdul Rauf Khan, defence lawyers had filed applications for bail of 35 accused, including Imran Khilji and Imran, the two principal accused, and the court reserved the decision after completion of arguments from both the sides.

While announcing the decision, the ATC judge Fazale Subhan Khan rejected the bail applications of all the accused.

The defence lawyers included Fazale Haq Abbasi, Javed Tanoli, Masood Azhar, Atif Jadoon, Malik Amjad, Ashfaq Haider and others.

According to the prosecution counsel, a total of 36 prosecution witnesses have so far testified against the accused.

The case was transferred to Haripur Central Jail on the request of Mohammad Iqbal Lala, the father of Mashal Khan, and the ATC held its first hearing in the jail on Sept 19 when all the 57 arrested accused were formally indicted. The ATC would resume hearing in the case on Oct 25.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2017