MULTAN, July 23: The prosecution in the Meerwala gang-rape case has admitted that the anti-terrorism court lacks competency to hear the case.

The state-appointed special prosecutor, Ramzan Khalid Joiya, observed this when responding to the notice issued by the judge, Malik Zulfiqar Ali, of the ATC, set up at Dera Ghazi Khan under ATA-97, to determine whether the court had the jurisdiction to try the rape accused.

In recent amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, the offence of rape has been dropped from the schedule offences of the act. However, keeping in view the nature of the Meerwala gang-rape, the government took it to the ATC by incorporating the section 6(2)(b) of the ATA-97 which deals with such acts of violence that spread commotion and terror to a segment of society.

Other offences under which Meerwala gang-rape is to be tried are 10(4)(a) of Hudood Ordinance of 1979, and 109 and 354-A of the Pakistan Penal Code.