SC acquits death sentence convict after 12 years

ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court Monday acquitted a murder suspect convicted 12 years ago.

Mazhar Qayyum was awarded capital punishment by a Faisalabad sessions judge in a murder case in 2005, which was later converted into life imprisonment by the Lahore High Court. He had been implicated for murdering Ghulam Abbas.

Hearing the convict’s appeal against the LHC order, a three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa ordered his acquittal, giving him benefit of doubt on murder charges.

During the course of proceedings, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa asked why registration of First Information Report (FIR) was delayed.

He remarked that it was unfortunate that real facts of case were not unearthed. He observed that as always, prosecution failed to prove the truth. The apex court after hearing the arguments acquitted the accused giving him the benefit of doubt.

Source: The Nation