ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali on Friday took suo motu notice of Mustafa Kanju’s acquittal by a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court in the Zain murder case.

SC Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali has taken notice of the acquittal and ordered the ATC to submit the whole record of the case in a sealed envelope.

Related: Zain murder case: Kanju, his guards acquitted

An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday had acquitted Mustafa Kanju, son of former state minister Siddique Kanju, and his four security guards of murder of Zain, an orphan young boy, for lack of evidence, Dawn newspaper had reported,

The prosecutor said the complainant and the witnesses were persuaded to retract their statements. He urged the court to dismiss the acquittal application of the suspects.

The court arrived at this verdict after all the 20 witnesses in Zain murder case, including the complainant and Zain’s uncle Sohail Afzal, failed to identify Kanju as the suspect who killed Zain in Cavalry Ground area.

Also read: Zain murder case: Another witness refuses to identify Kanju

Kanju’s counsel had argued that neither the complainant nor the prosecution witnesses identified his client as suspect adding that the case was registered on political grounds and prosecution had no direct evidence against his client.

ATC-I Presiding Judge Muhammad Qasim, however, allowed the application and acquitted Mustafa Kanju and his guards Sadiq, Asif, Saif and Akram.

Mustafa Kanju and six others were indicted on charges of killing a 16-year-old orphan Zain and injuring Hussain, 18, in Cavalry Ground area.

According to prosecution, Kanju was allegedly drunk when his car hit another car driven by a woman. It said Kanju got infuriated and opened fire.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had taken notice of the incident, ordered the arrest of the suspect and announced Rs0.5m for the family of the deceased. He also assured them of the provision of justice.