KARACHI, April 16: When the application of the principal accused in Daniel Pearl murder case, Ahmad Saeed Omar Shaikh, contending that Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the Anti-terrorism Court-III is not competent to try this case came up before a division bench of the Sindh High Court on Tuesday, his counsel relied on article 4 (c) of the Qanoon-i-Shahadat.

The bench comprised the Cheif Justice of the Sindh High Court, Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad, and Justice Ghulam Rabbani.

The Advocate-General Sindh, Raja Qureshi, argued that answer to clause 4 was available in section 304 (a) of PPC which pertained to proof of Qatl-i-Amad (premeditated murder).

Counsel Abdul Waheed Katpar, representing the principal accused, has taken a position that in the list of prosecution witnesses the note in the margin against prosecution witnesses 17 to 20 makes the notified judge a witness. He also cited the text of the challan in support of his contention.

The matter was adjourned to April 18.