LHC acquits two death row prisoners

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday acquitted two death row convicts who had been in prison for the past nine years.

The court acquitted the convicts over lack of evidence against them.

A division bench comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry acquitted the convicts, Imran Javed and Niamat Ali, while allowing their appeals against death penalty announced by the trial court.

The counsel for the convicts argued before the court that Balochni police of Faisalabad had registered a case against the suspects and others on October 4, 2011 over the murder of Muhammad Gulzar, Muhammad Irshad, Babar Ali and Nazir Hussain.

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It was alleged that the accused along with others killed the victims who were going to the district courts.

The counsel had implored the bench that the trial court had handed down death sentence on five counts to the appellants despite lack of evidence against them.

He contended that the statement of owner of the 'tonga' in which the victims were travelling when they were attacked did not support the version of the prosecution and eyewitnesses.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2021.