MULTAN: Asad Jamal, lawyer of Junaid Haffez, a former lecturer of Bahaudin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan who is an accused of blasphemy, wants the immediate change of judge saying that the case of his client should be transferred to the previous judge as he knows all the pros and cons of the case very well.
According to the details, Jamal had already moved an application to the districts and sessions judge of Multan for the change of judge under Section 528 of the Criminal Procedure Code in order to ensure the free and fair trial of the accused.
The hearing of the petition was held on Tuesday in the districts court of Multan but the district and sessions judge did not entertain the petition of Hafeez.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Jamal said that earlier the case was being heard by Additional Session Judge Muhammad Abbas, who was taking up the case very rigorously and only the last prosecution witness was left to record his statement. Judge Muhammad Abbas, during his 7 months stint as a judge, had recorded all the statements of other prosecution witnesses.
“The district public prosecutor was also convinced to transfer this case to the previous judge on Tuesday’s hearing, but the districts and sessions judge refused to do so and ordered to bring all the record of the case in the next hearing, further delaying the adjudication of the case,” Jamal said, while lamenting the delay of the case as five years have passed since the arrest of Hafeez on 13 March 2013.
It is worth mentioning here that seven judges have been changed in last five years during the case and a lawyer Rashid Rehman, who was earlier pursuing the case, was also gunned down in 2014.
“Only that judge can adjudicate the case effectively who has closely conducted the cross-examination and Muhammad Abbas was the judge who monitored the cross-examination of the case,” Jamal said.
The next hearing of the case would be held in the upcoming week.