Mid-trial shift to military court

A murder case that had been partially tried in one of Pakistan's anti-terrorism courts is to be shifted to a court-martial on the ground that it was proceeding too slowly, according to this account. The victim was a former Home Minister. Excerpt:

The sources said the murder case was shortlisted for transfer to the military court since the trial of the suspect had been proceeding at a snail’s pace.

The prosecution listed 130 witnesses but only six of them testified before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Rawalpindi.

Another reason for the inordinate delay was that the case had been registered under the controversial Protection of Pakistan Act (POPA).

The federal government promulgated POPA but failed to establish and equip the courts as per requirement under the law. 

POPA lapsed last year in accordance with its two-year sunset clause and the government did not give the law a new lease of life.

Subsequently, cases registered under POPA were transferred to the ATCs of the respective jurisdictions.

The murder case of the home minister was transferred to the ATC after the law expired.

Sorry to be dense about this, but what case requires 130 witnesses, and why weren't the necessary steps taken by the judge in the civilian court to move the matter along? Never mind the part about civilians not being tried by military courts.