2 prime accused held in ATC judge murder case

PESHAWAR: Two prime accused involved in the attack on judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court Aftab Afridi on April 4 have been arrested, police officials said on Thursday.

“Two main shooters in the murder of the ATC judge have been arrested. The arrested accused, Muhammad Zakir Shah and Shehzad, belong to Jag Killay in Peshawar. One of the accused has confessed his guilt before the ATC judge Mardan,” an official of the Swabi Police said.

The official said accused Muhammad Zakir Shah, while recording his statement u/s 164/364 Cr.Pc, narrated the whole story before the court.

The official added the accused also disclosed names of other co-accused involved in the murder of Aftab Afridi.

Police last week arrested two other accused and said they recovered the vehicle used in the murder of the judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court, Swat and three of his family members.

The judge Aftab Afridi, his wife Bibi Zainab, daughter-in-law Kiran and her three-year old son Mohammad Sanan lost their lives in the attack. Kiran was said to be six months’ pregnant.

The gunmen had fired at the car of the judge at the Ambar Interchange on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway in Swabi district on April 4. The guard of the judge and driver sustained injuries in the attack.

The son of the slain judge, Abdul Majid Afridi, had mentioned the six accused, including senior lawyer Abdul Latif Afridi and his son, and four unknown people in the FIR lodged at the Lahor Police Station in Swabi. Abdul Latif Afridi, president of the Supreme Court Bar Association has obtained pre-arrest bail from a court.

His son had been arrested earlier.