Murder suspects acquitted after 10 years by LHC

Lower court’s verdict overturned

RAWALPINDI:

The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench has acquitted two suspects, wrongfully awarded death and life sentences in 2010 after nullifying their punishments.

Justice Shehbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Sadiq Mehmood Khurram presided over the two-member divisional bench on Thursday.

During the hearing, Advocate Raja Ghaneem Abir told the court that the Khazro police in Attock had booked Khan Afsar and Shakir on July 16, 2010 on charges of murdering two people and injuring three following which a lower court had awarded a death sentence to Afsar and a life sentence to Shakir.

The counsel contended that imposters were posed as relatives of the deceased to provide testimony in the case and legal formalities were not fulfilled before pronouncing the decision.

After the conclusion of the arguments, the court voided the sentences and acquitted both the suspects.

Meanwhile, District and Sessions Judge Farkhanda Arshad ordered the release of a suspect charged with possession of 1.7 kilogrammes of ice (crystal meth) over a fake testimony.

Advocate Abdul Samad Khan Khattak said the Pir Wadhai police had booked his client when he was returning home and had kept him hostage at the police station overnight. He said that on the second day, the police had framed Khattak in a fake drug recovery case. As there was no witness to the incident, a constable was assigned the role, he added.

The lawyer contended that the forensic report was also incorrect and that a suspect could not be sent to jail without any evidence against them. After hearing the arguments, the court decided to release the suspect.

Furthermore, special anti-drug court Judge Sohail Nasir awarded four-year sentences each to Muhammad Munir and Naqeeb Akhtar while a 10-month sentence was given to Qasim Khan in two separate cases of drug possession.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2021.