The administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts has transferred a case pertaining to the alleged murder of teenage student Jazlan Faisal to anti-terrorism court-XVI to begin a trial against five suspects — including three brothers and their father.
Hasnain Faiz along with his father Muhammad Faiz, brothers Irfan Faiz, Ahsan Faiz and their friend Inshal have been charged with shooting to death Jazlan over a trivial dispute in Bahria Town Karachi on May 25.
When the crime occurred, Jazlan’s death triggered a hashtag, #JusticeforJazlan as people on social media called for the perpetrators to be arrested.
Last week, the investigating officer filed the final challan in the case, charge-sheeting the trio, their father and a friend with abetment and murder of the teenager.
He listed nine witnesses.
In the final challan, IO Inspector Aslam Jutt stated that the investigation, circumstantial evidence and statements of the witnesses suggested that the fleeing suspect Muhammad Ahsan shot dead Jazlan at the instigation of his father Muhammad Faiz for quarrelling with his brother Muhammad Hasnain over a petty dispute.
He added that Ahsan allegedly opened fire with a 9mm pistol, which is licenced in the name of his father Faiz, while his friend Inshal, who is said to be the son of a retired major, also opened fire on Shah Mir with a .30-bore pistol and wounded him.
The challan stated that Hasnain, Irfan and Inshal opened fire at the victims allegedly with the intent to kill them and caused terror in the locality, while Irfan allegedly intercepted the victim’s car with his car and beat them up.
It further alleged that the suspect, Muhammad Faiz, instigated his sons to kill the victim and injure his friend by giving his own licensed pistol for unauthorised use in the offence, adding that later he hid the weapon and got registered a fake report regarding the theft of his weapon at the A-Section police station in Ghotki.
The challan concluded that fleeing suspect Ahsan, his brothers Irfan and Hasnain, and their friend Inshal had been found responsible for allegedly committing the murder of Jazlan and wounding his friend Shah Mir, while Faiz was found involved in abetting the offence by hiding the evidence (pistol).
IO Jutt claimed that the suspects had been found guilty of committing offences punishable under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempt to murder), 109 (abetment), 114 (abettor present when offence is committed), 216-A (penalty for harboring robbers or dacoits), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code. He added that the Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 was also incorporated in the FIR.