Terror charges to remain in Fahad Malik case

ISLAMABAD/LONDON: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has dismissed the petition filed by Raja Arshad, one of the three murder suspects, to remove terrorism charges from the murder case of British Pakistani Barrister Fahad Malik.

The court dismissed the petition hence the trial which is in its final stage shall continue in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) at Islamabad. British Pakistani Barrister Fahad Malik was murdered on Margalla Road in Islamabad over two years ago.

Fahad Malik’s brother Jawad Malik & his maternal uncle Muhammad Mian Soomro, Federal Minister for Aviation & Privatisation, appeared before the bench of Supreme Court of Pakistan.

They informed the court that the trial of Barrister Fahad's murderers is nearing its conclusion and the last witness is due to be cross-examined now.

Noman Khokhar, Raja Arshad and Hashim Khan are currently in Adiala Jail in relation to the murder charges of Fahad Malik. Raja Arshad had approached the Supreme Court for removal of terrorism charges. In December 2016 ATC court judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi accepted a plea from the accused of removing terrorism clauses from the FIR.

Jawad Malik challenged the order and filed a writ petition before the division bench of IHC comprising of Justice Noor-ul-Haq Qureshi and Justice Aamer Farooq, which in July 2018 suspended the ATC order, noting that it required consideration due to infirmities.

At the hearing before the SC on Friday, Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik repeatedly told the counsel for Raja Arshad Mehmood to argue his case but he insisted on not pressing the petition albeit with some court observations. The lawyer of Raja Arshad decided to withdraw the case, instead of arguing, and hence the case was dismissed as withdrawn.

Jawad Malik, who is leading campaign for justice for his brother, commented: “This means that the trial will continue in the Anti-Terrorism Court, Islamabad, and will not be stopped.”

Two months ago, a group of 20 cross-party British parliamentarians wrote a letter to the former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Saqib Nisar, requesting for justice in Briton Pakistani Barrister Fahad Malik’s murder case. The MPs wrote to the Supreme Court after meeting Jawad Malik in London.

The letter was originated by Afzal Khan MP, Labour MP from Manchester, and supported by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Jack Bremerton MP, Lord Qurban Hussain, Julie Cooper MP, Judith Cummins MP, Lord Nazir Ahmed, Gill Furnis MP, Alex Norris MP, Debbie Abrahams MP, Khalid Mahmood MP, Vernon Coaker MP, Faisal Rashid MP, Stephen Timms MP, Naz Shah MP, Pausal Sheriff MP, Liam Byrne MP, John Grogan MP, Tony Lloyd MP, Muhammad Yasin MP and Afzal Khan MP.