Rimsha case: Court reserves verdict on delay in challan

The court of the additional sessions judge in Islamabad reserved its judgment over Monday’s hearing in the blasphemy case against Rimsha Masih. A ruling over today’s hearing was to be issued later. Senior civil judge Amir Aziz issued an order for the investigation to be conducted by an officer of the superintendent of police (SP) rank. The investigating officer (IO) on the case told the court that the police’ s inspector general (IG) had constituted an investigative team headed by a senior superintendent of police (SSP) and that the case’s investigation had been completed. The IO asked the court for more time to submit the charge sheet in the case. Rao Abdul Rahim, the counsel for the accuser, reminded the court that the police had already asked for more time to submit the challan and that the court had directed for an incomplete challan to be submitted during its previous hearing. Another lawyer for petitioner told the court that his client, Hammad Malik, was being threatened by the IG and other officers at the police station. The lawyer requested the court to restrain the police from harassing his client again and again and also requested for the bail of blasphemy-accused Christian girl to be cancelled. The complainant’s counsel alleged that the police had not constituted an investigating team yet and demanded the names of the officers constituting the team to be disclosed. The prosecutor presented the court with the names of the officers included in the investigating team upon request.