SHC commutes sentence awarded to man convicted for wife’s murder

Seeks replies from KMC, Safari Park, Zoo over condition of elephants

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court commuted on Tuesday the death sentence awarded to a man convicted for murdering his wife.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Abdul Mobeen Lakho, commuted the death sentence awarded to Jabbar Ali to life imprisonment.

A Malir district and sessions court had convicted Ali when he was found guilty of stabbing his wife to death in Ibrahim Hyderi in 2018.

Elephant's foot

Another two-member bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Rashida Asad, sought replies from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation administrator, Karachi Zoo senior director and the Safari Park senior director over a plea pertaining to the condition of elephants kept at the two parks.

The petitioner's counsel contended that the health of four elephants - Malika, Sonu, Noor Jehan and Madhubhala - was at risk. He informed the court that Malika and Sonu have been housed in a cage at Safari Park while the other two are at Karachi Zoo.

Read: SHC summons Karachi Zoo director over condition of animals

Keeping the elephants' with chains on their feet leaves them susceptible to foot disease, which is the most common cause of death among elephants, argued the counsel.

The counsel contended that the elephants at both the parks, especially Malika, were in immediate need of medical attention.

The court issued notices to the parties seeking their replies by April 9.

Notices issued

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito, issued notices to the federal government, the Sindh health department and the NCOC over a plea pertaining to the high price and unfair distribution of the coronavirus vaccine.

The petitioner has moved the court to direct the relevant authorities to ensure fair distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine. The court sought replies from the Centre, the provincial health department and the NCOC by April 6.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2021.