Acid throwing more heinous than murder, says SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday observed that there will be no compromise on acid throwing and held that the crime is even more heinous than murder, calling it a crime against the state.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa heard an appeal filed by one Javed Iqbal against his conviction, sentencing him for throwing acid on a woman.

The court, however, dismissed his appeal with an observation that although he was pardoned by the victim but he deserved no mercy. During the course of hearing, counsel for the accused Javed Iqbal submitted before the court that the victim had pardoned his client hence he should be acquitted. Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, however, noted that it is possible that the affected lady was threatened of dire consequences and forced to make astatement of 'pardoning her tormentor' before the apex court.

There will be no compromise on the cases related to acid throwing and the law for this offence is very strict, the CJP remarked adding the crime is even heinous than murder. Chief Justice Khosa noted burning someone by throwing acid is a kind of barbarism, adding the accused resorted to cruelty by attacking the lady with acid.

The chief justice observed that the accused deserves no mercy and the punishment for the said offence is life imprisonment, describing it to be a crime against the state. Later, the court dismissed the plea of the accused seeking acquittal in the matter.