Supreme Court acquits man ‘involved in rape, murder of widow’

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Tuesday acquitted an accused allegedly involved in rape and murder of a 60-year-old widow.

A trial court awarded capital punishment to Muhammad Hanif for murdering a widow after raping her in Murree in 2006. The Shariat Court also maintained the trial court verdict.

A five-member Shariat Appellate Bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Dr Muhammad Al-Ghazali ad hoc member-I and Dr Muhammad Khalid Masood ad-hoc member-II heard the case and acquitted Muhammad Hanif after 14 years.

During the course of proceedings, the public prosecutor said the accused killed Ziarat Bibi after raping her and two relatives of the victim saw the accused fleeing. He said the victim was a mother of five children. Justice Qazi Amin remarked that apparently the incident did not look like as it was being reported and according to the police investigation, the accused was a frequent visitor to the house of the woman. He said no one should be ridiculed so it could not be discussed.

He said there were no reasons for the accused to kill the woman and according to the FIR; the woman was killed by trapping. He said the medical evidence did not confirm trapping.