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LAHORE, Nov 26 (APP):The Lahore High Court (LHC) has upheld the life sentence of Muhammad Ashraf, convicted of killing his wife with repeated stick blows.
The court dismissed his appeal and affirmed the punishment announced by the trial court.
Justice Asjad Javed Gharal issued a six-page detailed judgment on the appeal, ruling that the prosecution had successfully established Ashraf’s guilt.
According to the verdict issued on Wednesday, the key eyewitness in the case was the couple’s son. The court noted that in society, a father holds great respect, and it is unlikely that a son would level a false allegation of murder against him. The judgment stated that the son directly implicated his father, and in the absence of any evidence to contradict his testimony, the accusation could not be discarded.
The convict’s counsel argued that the deceased had other children who did not testify against their father. However, the court observed that the credibility of witnesses is more important than their number. It added that when a father is accused of killing the mother, children are placed in a complex emotional situation, and it cannot be expected that every child would testify against their own parent.
The verdict further stated that fear, pressure and loyalty may influence children’s decisions, and the lack of testimony from the other children did not weaken the prosecution’s case.
The court also rejected the argument that the accused had no motive for the crime, ruling that lack of apparent motive is not sufficient grounds for acquittal when the prosecution has otherwise proved its case.
Dismissing the appeal, the Lahore High Court upheld the life sentence awarded to Muhammad Ashraf.
A murder case had been registered against Ashraf in 2021 in Gujranwala, and in 2022, a sessions court had sentenced him to life imprisonment along with a fine.