Fahad Malik murder case: IHC stays bail granted to main suspect

ISLAMABAD/BIRMINGHAM: Barrister Fahad Malik’s brother, Jawad Malik, expressed concerns on bail order for a suspect involved in his brother’s killing three years ago. However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) stayed the bail order and restrained the Adiala Jail Superintendent from his release.On April 30, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) granted post-arrest bail to Raja Arshad - the main accused in the murder case of British passport holder Pakistani lawyer Barrister Fahad Malik. Fahad’s mother, Maliha Malik, filed an application to IHC to challenge the bail order. The two-member bench, comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, converted her application into a petition and restrained the Central Prison Adiala superintendent not to release the accused. “What message are we giving by granting bail to the suspect?” asked Jawad Malik. “It means you kill someone, apply for bail and then flee away.” The suspect had already tried to flee the country once he was granted bail, Malik said. He took bail from Multan and was fleeing the country when he was arrested at the Torkham border, he pointed out. Jawad expressed satisfaction over the IHC order to cancel the bail. “We moved IHC, challenging the ATC order. The high court suspend the bail order and directed the Adiala Jail officials not to set free any of the suspects, he remarked. "At a time when the case is in its leg, the news of suspect getting bail shocked me," said Fahad’s brother. “Such reports are demoralizing not only for us but also for the society,” he said. He underscored the need for the concerned authorities to demonstrate responsibility. It’s the state’s responsibility to properly prosecute such cases, he said. Fahad Malik, who was a nephew of former Senate Chairman Mohammad Mian Soomro, was murdered on August 15, 2016 in a clash with the powerful gangsters in Sector F-10, Islamabad.