LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday directed the police to submit travel history of former state minister Siddique Kanju’s son Mustafa Kanju, who left the country soon after his acquittal in a murder case following a ‘compromise’ with the complainant.

A division bench comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry was hearing a state appeal against the acquittal of Mustafa Kanju and three other convicts in Zain murder case.

The bench had previously issued non-bailable arrest warrants of all the acquitted convicts for not appearing before it despite repeated summons.

During the hearing, Additional Prosecutor General Abdul Samad told the bench that Kanju had left the country on Oct 30, 2015 and summons issued by the court were not served on him.

He said the other three convicts, including Sadiq, Ikramullah and Asif Rehman were in Lucky Marwat and would be produced before the bench on the next hearing.

The bench adjourned further hearing for a week and directed the capital city police officer of Lahore to submit record of Kanju’s travel abroad.

An anti-terrorism court had on Oct 27, 2015 acquitted Mustafa Kanju and his guards of the charges of killing 16-year-old Zain and injuring Hasnain. The court had acquitted the suspects after legal heirs of the victims ‘pardoned’ them.

The Supreme Court had taken a suo motu notice of the acquittal and ordered the prosecution department to challenge it.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2018