PHC summons investigation officer in Asma Rani murder case

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday summoned investigation officer along with record in the murder case of Asma Rani, a medical student from Kohat.

A single bench of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi issued notice to rival parties in the case for hearing their point of view over the transfer of case from Kohat to Peshawar. The bench fixed March 2 for the next hearing.

Muhammad Irfan, brother of the slain girl, had filed an application in the high court through his lawyers Ghulam Mohiyuddin Malik and Farooq Ahmad Malik.

He is seeking transfer of the case to Peshawar as the petitioner claimed that there was a threat to him and his lawyer because the rivals were influential people. The petitioner's lawyers informed the bench that the suspected murderer of Asma Rani belonged to an influential family and that he was using his influence to hurl threats at the victim's family. He requested the court to transfer the case from Kohat to Peshawar.

The provincial government and the arrested accused Shah Zeb, who is facilitator in the case as per the police report, were made parties to the petition. Asma Rani was allegedly killed by Mujahidullah Afridi on January 28.

Mujahidullah Afridi escaped abroad on the day of the incident by taking a flight out of Islamabad. The KP government claimed that efforts were underway to arrest the culprit through the Interpol. It was stated in the application by Muhammad Irfan that the accused/respondents were permanent residents of Kohat and belonged to an influential political family.

The applicant said the close relatives of the accused included the district president of the PTI, the local MNA, and some practicing lawyers in Kohat. "The complainant party/petitioner used all resources to engage a local lawyer for pleading the murder case, but no one accepted the brief of the case from us," it was stated in the application. The petitioner claimed that on every hearing their opponents accompanied by supporters were seen hostile towards them. He said that he and his relatives felt threatened due to their hostility. "The atmosphere is unsafe and uncongenial in Kohat for me and my lawyer from Peshawar," he claimed. It was prayed before the court that the bail application along with the main murder case for a trial be transferred from Kohat to Peshawar.