SC reduces sentence of woman convicted in husband’s murder due to domestic abuse

ISLAMABAD, Jun 08 (APP):In a significant verdict addressing the intersection of domestic violence and economic coercion, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has reduced the life imprisonment sentence of Afshan Sahar, a woman convicted for the murder of her husband, to 14 years of imprisonment.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Hashim Kakar, heard the appeal against the conviction. During the proceedings, defense counsel Prince Rehan argued that the deceased husband was unemployed and had subjected his wife to persistent physical abuse, frequently coercing her to demand money from her parents.

The court was informed that the convict, a mother of four, had relied on her mother for financial support. However, on the day of the incident, when her mother refused further financial assistance, the husband initiated a violent assault on the appellant.

The prosecutor stated that during the altercation, the woman struck her husband on the head, which resulted in his death.

During the hearing, Justice Hashim Kakar observed the unique nature of the case, remarking that while domestic violence cases typically involve husbands accused of murdering their wives, this instance presented the inverse scenario. He inquired whether the convict had confessed to the crime in her statement.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim noted that the woman’s two brothers had also been named in the case but were subsequently acquitted.

Justice Kakar remarked that had the court relied strictly on the prosecution’s evidence, all three accused might have been acquitted.

While the defense counsel argued that the appellant had acted in self-defense to protect her honor and safety, Justice Kakar questioned the circumstances, asking, “After having four children, was her honor still at risk?”

The defense counsel further highlighted that Afshan Sahar has been incarcerated since 2016, having already served approximately ten years of her sentence.

Following the completion of arguments, the Supreme Court issued the order to commute the life sentence to a 14-year term.