‘Sad on seeing how lower courts work’

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Asif Saeed Khosa observed on Wednesday that if the lower courts could deal with the matters carefully, many cases would not come to the apex court as he expressed his dismay over the condition of lower courts.

The Supreme Court (SC) acquitted life imprisoned convict Abdul Khaliq, kept in custody from 2007 for murdering a barber Mazhar Hussain with scissor. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa heard the appeal moved by the convicted person against the decision of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Hazoor Bakhsh, father of convict, visited barber Mazhar Hussain to shave his beard but the deceased shaved his head instead. Convict Abdul Khaliq, when he came to know that the barber had made fun of his father, went to the barber shop and attacked Mazhar Hussain with his own scissor only one time.

The barber received two injuries and could not survive. The chief justice observed that the murder was not planned and that Section 203-B of the Criminal Procedures Code (CrPC) could not apply, however, it was a sudden happening and 302-C would apply on it.

He also observed that the convicted person spent his 11 years behind the bars and now he should be released. Subsequently, the court passed acquittal orders of the Abdul Khaliq.