PHC overturns death sentence in double murder

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has set aside death penalty awarded to a convict by a subordinate court in a double murder case in Hangu district.

A division bench comprising Justice Qalandar Ali Khan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim accepted an appeal filed by the convict, Muhammad Zaman. It observed that prosecution could not prove its case against the appellant and acquitted him.

During arguments, Sahibzada Asadullah, counsel for the appellant, submitted that the district court had acquitted two co-accused including Muhammad Hussain and Maiser Ali in the double murder case, while awarded death sentence on two counts to the appellant in 2008.

He pointed out before the bench that there was no eyewitness to the case and second three persons were charged and only the appellant was sentenced. The same treatment should have been meted out to the appellant.