KARACHI – A fresh attempt has been made to declare Armaghan, the prime accused in the Mustafa Amir murder case, as psychologically unfit. During a recent hearing at the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), the accused’s mother filed a petition seeking a psychological examination and the formation of a medical board for her son. The court has summoned arguments from all parties regarding this new request.
Objections from the Plaintiff Barrister Iftikhar Shah, representing the plaintiff, fiercely opposed the application and argued that this is a deliberate tactic to shield the accused from the trial by labeling him a mental patient. He highlighted that while Armaghan has been nominated in several past cases, no claim regarding his mental health was ever raised before. Furthermore, no prior medical records have been produced to support the claim of mental instability, and a previous examination by a psychiatrist during FIA custody had declared him “completely normal.”
Trial Proceedings and Delays The court has issued production orders for the accused, Armaghan and Shiraz, for the next hearing, where they are expected to be indicted. On the other hand, the defense counsel contended that under legal requirements, all case documents and copies must be provided to the defense before the indictment, which they claim has not yet happened.
What’s Next? The ATC has sought a response from the prosecution and also summoned arguments on the bail application of the co-accused, Shiraz. The case hearing has been adjourned until February 19.
