In a surprising turn of events, senior lawyer Abid Zaman Advocate withdrew from representing Armughan Qureshi, the main suspect in the Mustafa Amir kidnapping and murder case, on Tuesday. This development occurred on the same day that an anti-terrorism court (ATC) extended Armughan’s physical remand until March 24.
Reports indicate that Zaman stepped down from the case after Armughan’s father, Kamran Qureshi, expressed his intention to take over as the lead legal representative for his son. This unexpected move has raised questions about the future direction of the defense and the potential involvement of new counsel.
Earlier in the day, while appearing before ATC No 4 at the Jail Anti-Terrorism Complex, defense lawyer Tahir-ur-Rehman Tanoli requested that the accused’s mother be called as a witness, while another defense lawyer, Khurram Abbas, proposed summoning Kamran Qureshi to the court. Tanoli assured the judge that no disruptions would occur if the couple were allowed to attend the hearing.
The judge agreed to summon both parents to the court. During the proceedings, special prosecutor Zulfiqar Ali Arain informed the court that Kamran Qureshi had allegedly threatened him. In response, the judge asked why a formal complaint had not been filed under the Lawyers Protection Act, to which Arain confirmed that such a complaint had indeed been submitted.
The investigating officer, Afsar Muhammad Ali, was questioned regarding whether a formal case had been filed. The officer confirmed that the necessary paperwork had been submitted, and the court expressed concern about delays in the case and the impact of such postponements.
In a tense moment during the hearing, the judge also instructed the accused to sign a power of attorney, but Armughan refused, stating that he did not wish to appoint a lawyer.
