KARACHI, Dec 5: The Additional District & Sessions Judge-II (Central), Nelofer Shahnawaz Azimi, on Wednesday adjourned until Dec 8 the hearing of a case concerning the murder of a 14-year-old boy, since the judicial magistrate (East), Ayaz Mustafa Jokhio, was busy in other cases.

The judicial magistrate is to record his statement at the next hearing. He had earlier recorded the confessional statement of the man accused in the case, Mohammed Younus.

On Nov 13, the court had issued a notice to the provincial secretary health and directed him to ensure the appearance in court of two medical-legal officers (MLOs) of the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The court had also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the MLOs, since they had not appeared in the case for the past six years. However, through an application, the MLOs had requested the court to grant them further time since they had been transferred to Hyderabad.

According to the prosecution, Mohammed Younus, son of Mohammed Darvesh, stabbed 14-year-old Mohammed Ghiyas, a son of Mohammed Saleem, in Liaquatabad after an exchange of hot words within the limits of the Super Market police station on August 20, 2001.

Although he was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, the injured boy succumbed to his injuries. The post-mortem examination of the bodies was conducted by Dr Sarfaraz Gul and Dr Zafar Shah but both these MLOs failed to appear in court and testify.

The accused man, Mohammed Younus, was booked under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code in the case (FIR No. 84/01) at the Super Market police station.