KARACHI(National Times)- The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday sought a report from an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on an application filed against a delay in the trial of the Mustafa Amir murder case.

A two-judge regular bench of the SHC headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro also said that the report must carry details about the progress made so far in the case at the trial court.

The prime accused Armaghan, along with his accomplice Sheraz, has been facing trial for allegedly abducting and killing 23-year-old Mustafa Amir at the house of the main accused in the Defence Housing Authority in January last year as well as setting the body along with his car ablaze in the Hub area.

Complainant Wajeeha Amir, mother of the victim, through her lawyer, filed a criminal miscellaneous application before the SHC against a delay in conclusion of the trial.

The counsel argued that the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, provides for an expeditious trial, but despite the passage of over one-and-a-half years, there was hardly any progress in the case.

The lawyer also asserted that the accused side has consistently been using various tactics at the trial court to cause an inordinate delay in the proceedings. The applicant sought directives for the trial court to proceed with the matter expeditiously.

After an initial hearing, the bench sought details and a progress report on the case from the ATC at the next date, to be fixed later by the office of the court.

In February, the ATC had indicated both the accused persons and directed the prosecution witnesses to record their statements after the accused pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.