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LAHORE, Oct 20 (APP): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday acquitted a death row inmate, Maqbool Hussain, who was convicted of killing a man over a financial dispute.
The court set aside the trial court’s verdict and ordered his release after six years in custody.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Sardar Akbar Ali Dogar heard the appeal filed by Maqbool Hussain.
During the hearing, the defence counsel argued that there was no evidence confirming the witnesses’ presence at the scene, the postmortem report was delayed, and the police investigation was deeply flawed. He further contended that the trial court convicted the accused merely on suspicion without credible proof, while co-accused Khalid had already been acquitted.
Opposing the appeal, the prosecutor argued that the police investigation, witness statements, and medical report collectively established the convict’s guilt, justifying the trial court’s decision.
However, the bench ruled that the witnesses’ testimonies were unreliable and uncorroborated, declaring the prosecution’s stance unsatisfactory. The bench accepted Maqbool Hussain’s appeal, annulled the death sentence, and ordered his immediate release.
According to case details, Pakpattan Police had registered a murder case in 2019 over the killing of Muhammad Amjad, in which Maqbool Hussain and others were named as accused. The prosecution alleged that the suspects shot and killed Amjad following a monetary dispute.