PESHAWAR, Feb 2: A local court here on Friday acquitted an accused in the murder case of former governor of the NWFP, Lt-Gen (retd) Fazle Haq.

Six accused were acquitted by the court a few years back, and as the seventh accused, Tahir Zaman, had been absconding at that time, therefore, the trial could not be conducted against him.

Advocate Asadullah Chamkani appeared for the accused and argued that all the prime accused had been acquitted by the court. He stated that the case of prosecution had shattered after the verdict given by the trial court, therefore, the present accused could not be made liable on the same prosecution story.

Fazle Haq was gunned down by some unidentified assailants on Oct 30, 1991, when he was returning home from a provincial assembly session.

The accused earlier acquitted by the court included secretary-general of Tehrik-i-Jaffria Pakistan, Anwer Ali Akhundzada, former consular general of Iranian Consulate in Peshawar, Hamid Raza Sherkhudai, Malik Abdur Rehman, Atta Muhammad, Bhai Khan and Shahjehan. Tahir Zaman was arrested few months back and a supplementary challan was put up in court against him.

The court had examined about 14 prosecution witnesses, when counsel of the accused put forward an application under section 265-K of Criminal Procedure Code, praying the court that as the evidence recorded till that time had proved that the accused had no nexus with the case, therefore, he may be acquitted.