ISLAMABAD – Abdul Reham Khan Kanju, whose brother Mustafa Kanju allegedly killed a teenage boy Zain Rauf while carrying out indiscriminate firing in Lahore in 2015, has become a member of the new cabinet of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Abdul Rehman Kanju is a minister of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for NA-155 (Lodhran) and the son of former minister Sadique Khan Kanju.
Zain murder case
Mustafa Kanju had allegedly killed a 16-year-old boy, Zain Rauf in April 2015 while he opened indiscriminate firing after his luxury car hit another car in Cavalary Ground area of Lahore. He was arrested under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code for killing 16-year-old Zain and injuring Husain, 18.
A case was registered under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code against Kanju. Kanju had escaped from the scene and later was arrested from Khushab.
The trial court held Kanju and his four guards responsible for the murder but the suspects submitted an acquittal plea to an anti-terrorism court, which acquitted them after key witnessess changed their statements.
Later, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice and referred the case to the Lahore High Court, and directed the prosecution to file an appeal against the acquittal.
According to Dawn News, after a DNA report submitted to a Lahore High Court division bench showed the bloodstains on Kanju’s guard’s clothes matched the victim’s blood sample, the bench admitted the prosecution’s appeal and issued notices to Kanju and the other suspects.
