PESHAWAR, Aug 31: An anti-terrorism court here on Friday ordered psychiatric examination of a suspect arrested in connection with the kidnapping of Islamia College University Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Ajmal Khan after he created scenes in the court and claimed that the judicial system was against Sharia.

Eyewitnesses told Dawn that the suspect, Yousaf alias Malangae, lied down on the floor and started reciting verses from Holy Quran. He stated that he did not want to appear before this court as it was not based on Islam and Sharia.

When the suspect continued with his assertions the presiding officer, Syed Asghar Ali Shah, directed to take him back to the prison and asked the prison authorities to conduct his psychiatric examination.

Witnesses said that the judge tried to convince him by putting forward different arguments but in vain. Quoting the judge, a witness said that he stated that the legal system was un-Islamic as under the Constitution no law could be enacted against the injunctions of Islam. He stated that although the laws were in English but that did not mean that these were un-Islamic.

Trial of the suspect, arrested in 2010, is yet to be started and presently he has been in judicial custody. Normally, a prisoner in pre-trial stage is produced before the court concerned after a fortnight till such time when his or her trial starts.

It is learnt that during previous hearing the suspect had raised the same objections and had stated that he did not accept the judicial system of Lord Macaulay. He had added that he would never appear before the court in future.

The suspect was scheduled to be produced before the court on Friday on completion of his 14-day judicial remand, however, he could not be produced and the presiding officer was informed by the prison authorities that the prisoner was reluctant to go to the court. The judge ordered to produce him by force.

Later on, when he was brought to the court he started his outburst against the judicial system.

Ajmal Khan was abducted on Sept 7, 2010, in his official car along with his driver while on his way to the office from his residence here in Professors Colony. Later on, some of his video footages surfaced which showed that he was in custody of the militants who had put forward certain demands to the government for his release.

Initially, the present suspect was arrested by the police. Later, they had arrested a student of the University of Peshawar, Azhar Afzal, who was allegedly named by Yousaf as their accomplice. However, Azhar was granted bail by the Peshawar High Court on Oct 7, 2011.

The local police believe that the two suspects had links with the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and had played important role in the kidnapping of Ajmal Khan. The police claimed that Yousaf was arrested from Khyber Agency.