ATC defers pronouncement of verdict in Intizar murder case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday deferred the pronouncement of verdict in the Intizar murder case on the request of a defence counsel who sought more time to complete his arguments.

Nineteen-year-old Intizar Ahmed was killed in firing on his car allegedly by some policemen on Khayaban-e-Ittehad in Defence Housing Authority on the night of January 13, 2018. Nine policemen belonging to the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) – Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Raheem, Shahid Usman, Bilal Rasheed, Ghulam Abbas Ali, Azhar Ahsan, Ghulam Abbas Raza, Fawad Khan and Mohammad Daniyal – were charged with the murder.

On Monday, Khan’s attorney Advocate Abid Zaman submitted his arguments in defence of his client before the ATC-VII judge who is conducting the trial at the judicial complex inside the central prison.

The jail authorities produced all the accused from prison in the court except Ali who appeared on bail. The lawyers from the complainant, prosecution and defence sides as well as the investigation officer were also present.

The judge after recording the arguments by Zaman sought a consent from all the parties in the case to pronounce the verdict on August 30 to which they all agreed. Police had initially claimed that Intizar was killed by some unidentified assailants, however after the CCTV footage of the incident surfaced, they admitted that the ACLC was involved in it.

Then ACLC senior superintendent of police Muquddus Haider had remarked that the ACLC personnel had signalled Intizar to stop but after he did not stop his car, they opened fire on the vehicle, which killed the youth. The FIR was registered under sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC.