SC commutes death sentence to life imprisonment in Gujrat court premises murder case

ISLAMABAD, Apr 02 (APP):The Supreme Court of Pakistan has commuted a death sentence to life imprisonment in a murder case that took place within the premises of a sessions court in Gujrat.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Hashim Kakar heard the case on Thursday.

During the hearing, counsel for the accused submitted that in 2010, the accused’s brother was killed within the premises of the sessions court. A year later, the alleged accused was himself killed at the same location.

Justice Kakar inquired about the timing of the incident and the age of the accused at the time and at present. The defense counsel informed the court that the incident occurred in 2011, when the accused was 21 years old, and he is now 36.

The counsel further argued that the accused has already completed a life imprisonment term and, under the Nelson Mandela Rules, a second punishment cannot be imposed after completion of one sentence.

During the proceedings, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim questioned the recovery of three bullet casings from the crime scene, noting that while two matched the pistols, the source of the third casing remained unclear.

Justice Kakar remarked that since the Zainab murder case, no executions have taken place and none are expected. He further observed that individuals from both the accused and complainant sides had been killed.

The court noted that the case was complex and somewhat confusing; however, after reviewing all aspects, it ordered the commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment.