Court verdict in girl’s rape, murder case hailed

NOWSHERA: Amn Jira chairman Syed Kamal Shah Bacha on Thursday welcomed the court verdict in Hooz Noor rape and murder case and hoped the higher courts would also uphold the judgement to make the convicts an example for others.

Speaking at a press conference, Syed Kamal Shah Bacha praised the lawyers, who pleaded the case for the victim’s family and the court for the historic verdict.

He said that incidents of child abuse and murder had become a dangerous trend, adding that it was the responsibility of everyone in the society to play his part to put a halt to such crimes of heinous nature. He also demanded justice for slain Seema of Hamza Rashaka in Nowshera, Maha of Mardan, Farhan of Jalala and others, who were sexually assaulted and then brutally murdered.

Syed Kamal Shah Bacha said that civil society and the courts could play a major role to prevent the occurrence of such crimes. “Harsh judgments from courts are the only panacea to put a brake to the happenings of heinous crimes in the society,” the Amn Jirga chief believed. It may be mentioned that a local court had awarded death sentence to the main accused on three counts and Rs0.3 million fine while the co-accused was sentenced for life term and Rs0.2 million fine in the eight-year old Hooz Noor rape and murder case the previous day.

The court of District and Sessions Judge Shehnaz Hameed Khattak after conclusion of arguments in the case delivered the verdict and handed down death sentence to the main accused Abdar on three counts and Rs0.3 million fine and life imprisonment and Rs0.2 million fine to the co-accused Rafiqul Wahab.

Abdar, one of the two men accused of raping and murdering had confessed to his crime. Following the horrific incident, the KP government had formed a 13-member parliamentary body, which has recommended publicly hanging convicts of child abuse.