PESHAWAR: A judicial magistrate on Friday sent a cleric held in connection with the murder of a blasphemy accused to prison on 14 days judicial remand.

The police had arrested Wasiullah, a supervisor at a local seminary, on Sept 15 after his pre-arrest bail petition was rejected by an anti-terrorism court.

He was suspected of motivating a teenage boy for killing an under-trial blasphemy accused inside a courtroom here.

The investigation team produced the suspect before an anti-terrorism court on Friday after the completion of his two days physical remand.

The relevant official informed the court that the suspect had admitted his role in the case during investigation and he should be referred to a magistrate to record his statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The anti-terrorism court sent the suspect to a judicial magistrate for the purpose.

The investigation team and court officials were tightlipped about the suspect’s statement.

The magistrate sent the suspect to jail on 14 days judicial remand.

The suspected teenage killer was held soon after the murder of Tahir Ahmad Nasim, a US national, at the Judicial Complex on July 29. He has been kept at the Peshawar Central Prison.

Junior lawyer Tufail Zia was also arrested on the charge of taking the pistol used in the offence inside the Judicial Complex and handing it over to the suspected killer.

FIR of the murder was registered at the East Cantonment police station on July 29 under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 15 of the Arms Act.

The prosecution claims that lawyer Tufail Zia had told the investigation team that Wasiullah had masterminded the murder and had allegedly motivated the teenager to kill the blasphemy accused, who was under trial.

Currently, the bail petition of lawyer Tufail Zia is pending with the anti-terrorism court.

Similarly, two petitions of the prime suspect are pending before the Peshawar High Court seeking orders for the transfer of his trial from the Anti-Terrorism Court No III to any other court and cancellation of the order of the trial court to determine his age through medical examination.

The prime suspect claims that documentary evidence was available to show he’s was a juvenile offender and therefore, he couldn’t be referred to a medical board for age determination.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2020