The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notice to the home secretary and the Sindh prosecutor general to respond on a petition of accused Salman Abro seeking transfer of his trial in his classmate’s murder case from anti-terrorism court to district and sessions court.
Salman Abro, the son of Sakrand Police Training Centre SSP, along with five police guards of his father was booked for his alleged involvement in the murder of his classmate, Suleman Lashari, and wounding his private guard at his house in Defence Housing Authority on May 8.
The petitioner, Salman Abro, approached the court against an order of the anti-terrorism court that dismissed his application regarding transfer of his trial to district and sessions court.
Advocate Farooq H Naik, representing the petitioner submitted that medical board formed on direction of the court examined the age of accused and issued a report according to which his age was between 17 and 18 years. Following the medical board’s report, the court ordered his transfer to Youthful Offenders’ School (YOS).
He said the petitioner moved an application in the anti-terrorism court for transfer of case to district and sessions court (South) on July 26 but it was dismissed.
He argued that the ATC could not proceed with the case as it did not fall within its jurisdiction after the accused was declared to be juvenile.
Therefore, he requested the court to declare as illegal the order of an anti-terrorism court and order transfer of trial from to district and session court.
After preliminary hearing, the bench headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh issued notice to the home secretary and the Sindh prosecutor general to file comments on the petition.