LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday agreed to hold jail trial of the suspected serial killer of Kasur and sent him to Kot Lakhpat Jail on judicial remand after the prosecution submitted challan in the Zainab murder case.

Earlier, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel produced the suspect, Imran Ali, before the court along with a special prosecution team constituted by Punjab Prosecutor General Ehtisham Qadir Shah.

Team head Deputy Prosecutor General Abdul Rauf Wattoo told the presiding judge that investigation in the case was complete and the suspect’s physical remand was not required.

Submitting a copy of the 175-page challan, he said police had got at least 56 witnesses in addition to the suspect’s confessional statement made during interrogation. He requested the court to hold the trial in jail due to security reasons, which ATC Judge Sajjad Ahmad accepted. He further said challan against the suspect in seven other rape-cum-murder cases of minors would be filed in a day and a copy supplied to him.

Advocate Mehar Shakeel Multani filed his power of attorney as defence counsel and sought time to submit written objections to the prosecution’s claims. To an objection, the judge observed that the trial would be conducted on the basis of witnesses presented by both sides.

The court would formally resume trial on Monday and conclude it within seven days.

MISSING: The Lahore High Court on Friday rejected a report presented by Kasur police about an allegedly arrested girl and ordered the district police officer (DPO) to recover her within five days.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi was hearing a petition filed by a woman for the recovery of her 15-year-old daughter from alleged police detention.

The report submitted on behalf of the Kasur DPO said the girl was not in police custody. However, there was a complaint against both petitioner and her daughter regarding cattle theft, it added.

Rejecting the report, Justice Naqvi directed the DPO to look into the matter and ensure recovery of the girl.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2018