An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Thursday indicted a suspect in the PAF officer murder case and summoned prosecution witnesses to record their statements. The officer killed was Group Captain Asim Tariq of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The accused, Saad Abbasi, was produced before the court, pleaded not guilty and chose to contest the charges, so the case now moves toward trial.
What the court did
Judge Abual Hasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain conducted the hearing and read out the charges against Abbasi. An indictment is the formal step in which a court puts the charges to the accused, who must then answer them. Because Abbasi denied the charges, the matter will continue to trial rather than end at this hearing.
After the indictment, the court summoned the prosecution witnesses, the people called by the state to give evidence, for the next hearing. The proceedings were adjourned until November 2, when the case will be taken up again.
Background to the killing
Police have registered a case against Abbasi at Margalla Police Station in connection with the murder. Reports say the killing took place on July 5 in Islamabad, when Tariq stepped in to save a woman whom the suspect was trying to take away forcefully. Reports say Abbasi opened fire as the officer intervened, and the shot hit him.
The case is being heard by an anti-terrorism court, a special court set up under Pakistan's anti-terrorism law to try offences of this kind. The charges read out on Thursday are the latest formal step in the PAF officer murder case, and the court has now fixed the next date.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- July 5: Group Captain Asim Tariq was shot in Islamabad when he intervened to save a woman, reports say.
- A Thursday hearing (exact date not specified): the ATC indicted Saad Abbasi, who pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.
- November 2: the date fixed by the court for the next hearing, when the summoned prosecution witnesses are due to be dealt with.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Islamabad mein PAF afsar Group Captain Asim Tariq ke qatal ke case mein Saad Abbasi par Anti-Terrorism Court ne charges aayad kar di hain. Mulzim ne gunah se inkar kiya aur case ladne ka faisla kiya hai. Adalat ne gawahon ko talab kiya hai aur agli sunwai 2 November ko hogi. Aam logon ke liye iska matlab hai ke case ab trial ke marhale mein hai, aur faisla adalat mein hoga.
