RAWALPINDI, Sept 10: Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, self-confessed killer of former Governor Punjab Salman Taseer, was directed by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Saturday to submit his written reply to the allegations leveled against him under section 342 of Criminal Procedure Court (CrPC).

ATC-II Judge Syed Pervaiz Ali Shah handed him over the questionnaire containing 12 queries and asked him to submit the reply in the court during next hearing and adjourned the hearing till September 17.

During the trial held at Adiala Jail, Malik Muhammad Raffique Advocate, Raja Tariq Dhanial Advocate, Raja Shujah-ur-Rehman Advocate and Syed Habib-ul-Haq Shah Advocate appeared on behalf of Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri.

Raja Shujah-ur-Rehman Advocate, while talking to newsmen outside Adiala Jail, said that in the questionnaire, Mumtaz Qadri was asked to tender the explanation for the evidence appearing against him in the court record and state his defence to the charges against him briefly.

“It is a compulsory practice to be carried out in every criminal trial. The answers to these questions will be submitted in the court during the next date of hearing. However, the defence counsel will decide whether he tenders any defence evidence or not,” he said.