Charges framed in lawyer’s murder case

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) yesterday framed charges against the accused in the high-profile murder case of Fahad Malek, a British passport-holder, advocate and nephew of Federal Minister for Privatisation Mohammad Mian Soomro.

The accused — members of the Raja and Khokhar families, influential political families in Islamabad and Rawalpindi — pleaded not guilty.

Fahad was gunned down on the night of August 14, 2016 near Shalimar Police Station in Islamabad. The incident left another of his uncles, Tariq Malek, injured.

The deceased had just left the police station after attending to one of his clients and his killing sent shock waves across Pakistan.

It has been suggested that Fahad was killed in crossfire during a clash between two groups. The police initially did not register a case on the application of Tariq Malek and only relented after immense pressure by the media and the public.

Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan also weighed in and a case was registered three days after the incident against Noman Khokhar, Raja Arshad Mahmoud, Hashim Khan and eight others on murder and terrorism charges.