Death penalty awarded to murder convict commuted to life sentence

Court extends PTI lawmaker's bail in NAB inquiry

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court commuted on Tuesday the death sentence awarded to a murder convict into life imprisonment.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Abdul Mobeen Lakho, announced the verdict on convict Babar's plea seeking acquittal.

The bench remarked that the convict could not be acquitted in light of the evidence against him.

According to the police, Babar stabbed a security guard, Muhammad Ramzan, to death and injured two others in 2012.

Finding Babar guilty, a trial court had sentenced him to death in 2019.

Bail extended

Another two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Shamsuddin extended the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Firdous Shamim Naqvi in the National Accountability Bureau investigation into the 30-year lease of Habib Group of Companies in 2006.

The SHC bench expressed annoyance over the accused's absence.

Naqvi's counsel sought an extension for his appearance, saying that his client was not answering the phone. After a period of time, the MPA appeared before the court and his lawyer attributed his client's tardiness to his ill health.

The court extended Naqvi's interim bail till July 13.

According to NAB, the inquiry against Naqvi has been completed and a recommendation to file a reference has been submitted to the bureau's headquarters. A notice had been issued by NAB to Naqvi as he was a member of the HGC board of directors.

Development funds

Meanwhile, a plea was filed in the SHC against the alleged failure to provide development funds for Karachi by the Sindh government.

Petitioner Mehmood Akter Naqvi has claimed that the provincial government has held back billions of rupees.

The plea urged the court to have the funds released immediately by the relevant authorities.

The Sindh chief secretary, local government secretary, finance department secretary and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation administrator have been nominated as parties in the plea.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2021.