Supreme Court acquits two in murder case

Islamabad: The Supreme Court Thursday acquitted two men in a murder case after six years.

Safdar Abbas and Imran Afzal were convicted in the murder of a shopkeeper Habib in Sheikhupura in 2013.

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition on their acquittal. According to the First Information Report (FIR), Afzal was working as a tailor at Habib’s shop. He was also having illicit relations with Habib’s wife. A fight erupted between the two men after Habib found out about the affair.

Habib was killed in the fight. Afzal, Habib’s wife, and Abbas were accused of killing him.

Abbas was handed death sentence, while Afzal and Habib’s wife were given life imprisonment by a trial court.

The Lahore High Court then converted Abbas’ sentence to life imprisonment and acquitted the woman. Afzal’s appeal against the sentence was dismissed.

Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said that the woman around whom the case revolved has been acquitted. He pointed out some inconsistencies in the case too. The FIR was filed late and the postmortem examination was delayed.

The Civil Hospital Sheikhupura doesn’t even have any record about the murder, he added.