Asma Rani’s murder case trial shifted to Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday ordered transfer of the trial in the murder case of Asma Rani, a medical student, from Kohat to Peshawar to protect the family and the lawyer.

A single bench of Chief Justice Yahya Afridi allowed the application filed by brother of the slain student, who had sought the transfer of the murder case of his sister to Peshawar. The bench passed the order after hearing both the parties and law officer in the case.

The court also ordered transfer of bail petition filed by the arrested accused in the case to Peshawar and fixed March 13 for hearing of the case in the court of District and Sessions Judge Peshawar. Muhammad Irfan, brother of the slain girl, had filed the application in the high court through his lawyers Ghulam Mohiyuddin Malik and Farooq Ahmad Malik.

Additional Advocate General Qaiser Ali Shah appeared in the case and did not oppose the transfer of the case. The petitioner had 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 killed allegedly by Mujahidullah Afridi in Kohat 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 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, 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 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 had claimed in the application.