Jazlan Faisal’s murder not an act of terrorism: Anti-terrorism Court
The Karachi’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday directed the investigating officer of Jazlan murder case to submit the final charge sheet in the sessions court, saying that the murder of the young student was not an act of terrorism.
The judge hearing the case at the Judicial Complex inside the Central Jail gave this order on a petition filed by the lawyer of one of the suspects.
A case was registered against Muhammad Faiz, his son Hasnain, Irfan, Ahsan and their friend Anshal for killing Jazlan over a minor altercation in Bahria Town Karachi.
Prime suspect Hasnain’s lawyer, Mushtaq Ahmad filed an application under Section 23 (power to transfer cases to regular courts) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, arguing that the case falls under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (Punishment for acts of terrorism).
He argued that the court had no jurisdiction to accept the charge sheet as there was no element of terrorism in the incident.
The lawyer said that the charge sheet be returned to the investigating officer with directions to determine the nature of the offense and submit it before the concerned court for trial.
Advocate Mushtaq Ahmed was told that the Anti-Terrorism Court judge has returned the charge sheet to the investigating officer and directed him to submit it to the concerned court.
According to the prosecution, Hasnain had an argument with Jazlan for allegedly stopping him from driving recklessly, after which he along with his friends chased Jazlan’s car and opened fire on it near the ‘Eiffel Tower’ in Bahria Town.
An FIR was initially lodged under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) at the Gadap City police station on the complaint of the decease victim’s paternal uncle Arif Sabir.
However, sections 109 (punishment for abetment) and 114 (abettor present when offence is committed) were later incorporated in the case. The IO added sections 216 (penalty for harbouring robbers or dacoits) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees of the PPC and Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 to the final charge sheet.
Background:
Notably, on the night of May 24, a shocking incident took place in a Bahria Town at Super High where a 19-year-old student Jazlan was shot dead in a minor altercation.
Jazlan had left home to study with his two firends while he was second among siblings and the dearest of the house.
