An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has directed the key accused in Mustafa Amir murder case to approach an appropriate forum for the transfer of all cases against him to another court after he filed a ‘no-confidence’ application.
Armaghan, alias Army, along with his accomplice Sheeraz Hussain Bukhari, alias Shavez, has been charged with the murder of Amir at a bungalow in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on January 6, 2025. He also faces several other cases, including one pertaining to an encounter with the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) team during a raid on his bungalow that left a DSP dead, possession of sophisticated weapons, and an attack on a journalist.
As the ATC-VII judge resumed hearing of the cases at the judicial complex inside the Central Jail Karachi, Armaghan and Sheeraz were produced from prison. The key accused through his lawyer Khurram Abbas submitted an application expressing “no-confidence” in the judge and requesting him to transfer all cases from this court to another ATC for hearing.
Deciding the plea, the judge directed Armaghan to approach an appropriate forum for the transfer of the cases and adjourned the hearing until April 20. On February 26, the court framed charges against Armaghan and Sheeraz, who then pleaded not guilty and vowed to contest them. Subsequently, the court ordered the prosecution to produce its witnesses to record their testimonies against them, formally starting their trial in the murder case. Last year in August, the ATC had indicted Armaghan for an alleged armed attack on a journalist within the remits of the Bahadurabad police station in 2024.
