KARACHI: A sessions court has directed the investigating officer to produce witnesses for recording of their testimonies in the case pertaining to murder of TV anchorperson Mureed Abbas and another person over a dispute allegedly involving shady investments worth billions of rupees.

Atif Zaman and his brother Adil Zaman have been charged with killing his two business partners — Mureed Abbas and Khizar Hayat — in the Khayaban-i-Bukhari area of Defence on the night of July 9, 2019.

The matter recently came up before the additional district and sessions’ judge (South) Faraz Ahmed Chandio, who is conducting the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison.

The judge directed the IO to submit a schedule to produce prosecution witnesses before the court for recording their statements against the accused persons on April 10 and adjourned the hearing.

According to the prosecution, Atif with the help of brother Adil had killed both of his business partners for demanding their money back owing to non-payment of their shares in profit.

It further mentioned that Atif called Abbas and Hayat at two different places in DHA on the pretext of returning the money owed to them on the day of the incident. However, he first shot Hayat at a traffic signal and later went to kill Abbas in an office, the charge sheet stated.

Case against Adil bifurcated

Meanwhile, the court bifurcated the case against Adil who has reportedly been absconding after the Supreme Court revoked his bail in September 2020.

Atif was taken into custody soon after the incident when police raided his apartment but he shot himself in an attempt to commit suicide, the prosecution stated. He was then shifted to a private hospital for treatment.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2021