A sessions court in Rawalpindi sentenced a man to be hanged until death for murdering his former wife, a US citizen, over a property dispute worth billions of rupees, Express News reported on Wednesday.
The convict, Rizwan Habib, was handed the death penalty, a fine of Rs500,000, and additional sentences for kidnapping and evidence tampering. The court also sentenced co-accused Sultan to seven years in prison and a Rs100,000 fine.
The sentencing was announced in the presence of three US diplomats and an FBI officer, who expressed satisfaction over the outcome.
According to the case, Habib lured his ex-wife, Wajiha Swati, to Pakistan in October 2021 under the pretext of a reconciliation. She was killed upon arrival, and her body was later found buried in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after being secretly moved from Rawalpindi.
Habib had initially reported Swati missing, but confessed to the crime during police interrogation. The victim’s son had lodged the initial complaint from the United States via online FIR.
The case was earlier remanded by the High Court, but a fresh verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Additional District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Majid Hussain Ghadi. US authorities monitored proceedings throughout.
US forensic experts had confirmed death due to torture after a second autopsy conducted upon repatriation of the body. Government prosecutor Iffat Sultana represented the victim’s side in the trial.
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