KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday expressed concern over the delay in the trial of the high-profile Mustafa Amir murder case and directed the trial court to submit a report on the progress of the proceedings.
A bench comprising Justice Abdul Rehman and Justice Iqbal Kalhoro heard an application filed by the mother of the deceased, who had approached the high court seeking an early conclusion of the proceedings.
During the hearing, the court questioned whether Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code had been incorporated into the case.
Counsel for the complainant submitted that several cases had been registered against accused Armaghan and alleged that the accused was repeatedly adopting delaying tactics to prolong the proceedings.
The lawyer said that on different occasions the accused and his parents had allegedly created disruptions, the defence counsel had failed to appear before the trial court, while the accused had also expressed a lack of confidence in the trial court.
The bench questioned why the cases were not proceeding, observing that if the accused continued to employ delaying tactics, the prosecution should ensure that the trial was conducted expeditiously.
The court further remarked that the accused was in jail and that prolonged delays could result in him remaining incarcerated for years, adding that an accused facing a case of this nature would not ordinarily secure bail merely because the trial was being delayed.
The complainant’s counsel told the court that the case was of an extremely important nature, but proceedings were being repeatedly adjourned and only dates were being fixed.
The bench observed that if the accused was deliberately delaying the proceedings, the prosecution should take steps to expedite the trial. It said directions would be issued to the trial court and prosecution regarding the conduct of the proceedings.
Justice Abdul Rehman also asked whether a medical board had been constituted for the psychological examination of the accused on his request. The complainant’s counsel replied that no such medical board had yet been constituted.
Justice Iqbal Kalhoro asked whether the accused had been indicted in the case and advised the complainant to move an appropriate application for expediting the trial.
The court observed that a prolonged delay of even two years could affect the quality of witness testimony, as witnesses might forget details of events over time.
The complainant’s counsel said an application had already been filed and that all relevant records were available in the case diary.
The SHC directed that the record of the case be produced and ordered submission of a report detailing the progress of the proceedings and reasons for the delay at the next hearing.
Case delayed for one-and-a-half years’
Speaking to the media outside the SHC, the mother of Mustafa Amir said the case had been delayed for around one-and-a-half years and alleged that unnecessary delays were being created in the proceedings.
ملزم ارمغان اینڈ فیملی کا ٹرائل کورٹ میں نیا ناٹک، مقتول مصطفیٰ عامر کی والدہ انصاف لینے سندھ ہائیکورٹ پہنچ گئی pic.twitter.com/dmHXI0GazB
— Shahid Hussain (@ShahidHussainJM) August 10, 2026
She said she had approached the high court to seek an explanation for the prolonged delay and to ensure that the case proceeded without further unnecessary adjournments.
