The District and Sessions Court of Islamabad on Tuesday rejected a request to transfer the Sana Yousaf murder case, imposing a fine of Rs 1,000 on the accused.
The decision came during ongoing proceedings, where the court said the trial should continue without delay and witness statements will resume on April 16.
The accused, Umar Hayat, had filed an application seeking transfer of the case to another court. Session Judge Nasir Javed dismissed the request, calling it a waste of time.
In the written order, the judge remarked that transferring a case after formal charges have been framed is not justified. The court observed that the accused was using repeated applications to delay the trial process.
The judge directed the defence counsel to focus on the trial and cross-examination of witnesses instead of making allegations. The order also noted that the application could have been dismissed with a higher penalty, but the court imposed a fine of Rs1,000 and rejected the plea.
The trial of the case is currently being conducted in the court of Additional Session Judge Afzal Majoka. Following the decision on the transfer request, the hearing was adjourned until April 16.
The court will continue recording statements of the remaining witnesses at the next hearing as the trial proceeds.