ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad police and the investigation officer to personally appear before the court on the next hearing (Thursday) in Noor Mukadam murder case.
A single bench of Justice Aamer Farooq issued the directions, while hearing the bail petitions of prime suspect Zahir Zaffer’s parents.
The petitions were moved by Zakir Jaffer and Asmat Jaffer seeking bail in Noor Mukadam murder case.
During the hearing, the public prosecutor said that the case should be heard by a division bench of the IHC.
At this, Justice Farooq asked how the case can be referred to a division bench when the charge-sheet has been submitted to the court of an additional sessions’ judge.
He asked the attorney that you are a young man, tells the advocate general to appear and give arguments in the case.
Justice Farooq further said in a high-profile case, which has been under debate for three days, you are saying this.
Later, the IHC bench deferred the hearing until today (Thursday).
Meanwhile, the same bench also heard the petition of Shaukat Mukaddam seeking suspension of bail of the CEO of Therapy Works Tahir Zahoor and five other employees of the organisation.
The court granted Shah Khawar opportunity to himself appear and argue the case, as Khawar’s associates told the bench that he is busy in the Supreme Court.
The IHC had issued notices to six employees of Therapy Works including its CEO Dr Tahir Zahoor Ahmed in the petition filed against their bail granted by a lower court in Noor murder case.
Earlier, additional district and sessions judge (ASJ) Muhammad Ata Rabbani had granted bail to the six employees including Zahoor, Amjad Mehmood, Dileep Kumar, Abdul Haq, Wamiq Riaz, and Samar Abbas, and ordered them to submit bail bonds of Rs5 million each.
They were arrested by the police on August 15 and were accused of “concealing evidence” related to Noor’s murder case.
The petitioner, Shaukat’s stance before the high court is that the sessions court judge did not fulfill the criteria of justice, and requested the court to nullify the decision of granting bails to the accused persons.
He added that the lower court ignored the rules and regulations laid out by the Supreme Court (SC), while granting bails to the suspects.
Barrister Qasim Nawaz Abbasi, junior of Shah Khawar, prayed before the court to cancel the bail granted to the six accused persons.
The FIR of the case was also presented before the court.
He added that 11 accused individuals were arrested after supplementary statements, CCTV and CDR evidence was presented.
He maintained that a different judge had rejected the bail of Zakir Jaffer and Ismat Adamjee, the parents of the primary suspect, Zahir Jaffer.
Shaukat Mukadam father of Noor Mukadam moved the IHC challenging the grant of bail to six employees of Therapy Works in the murder case.
Shaukat filed the petition through his counsel Shah Khawar advocate and cited the six employees of therapy works including its owner and chief executive officer Tahir Zahoor as respondents.
The petitioner, Shaukat, requested the court to recall the bail granted to the accused in the interest of justice, fair play, and equity.
He contended that the respondents are threatening the petitioner of dire consequences and were abusing the bail granted to them.
He added that the petitioner shall suffer irreparable loss, if their bail was not cancelled.
The petitioner has further contended that bail applications for suspects in a case were to be decided by one judge to avoid any contradictory judgment.
Noor, 27, was found murdered at a residence in Islamabad’s Sector F-7/4 on July 20.
A first information report (FIR) was registered later the same day against Zahir, who was arrested from the site of the murder, under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the victim’s father.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021