ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has acquitted a man after 15 years in a murder case arising from a dispute over Rs2,500, ordering his immediate release.
The verdict was announced by a three-member bench comprising Justice Hashim Khan Kakar, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.
In its detailed judgment, the court observed that the presence of the complainant at the crime scene was doubtful, noting that the incident allegedly occurred in complete darkness and no source of light was mentioned in the record.
The Supreme Court ruled that the incident did not occur in the manner described by the prosecution and termed the case mysterious in nature.
Referring to the statement of the investigating officer, the court noted that the fatal shot was not fired by Naeem Arshad Butt by Shehbaz Ali. The recovered pistol from Shehbaz Ali was found to match the shell collected from the crime scene.
The court further observed that Shehbaz Ali had already been acquitted by the trial court, and neither the state nor the complainant challenged that acquittal.
The apex court also remarked that the prosecution’s failure to present key witnesses before the court created serious doubts about its case.
According to the case record, the incident took place on March 14, 2011, in Sahiwal, where Muhammad Anwar was shot dead at a cloth shop. The complainant claimed that a quarrel over unpaid dues of Rs2,500 two days earlier led to the murder.
Setting aside the Lahore High Court’s verdict dated November 29, 2017, the Supreme Court acquitted Naeem Arshad alias Pappu of the murder charge and ordered his immediate release.
The trial court had earlier sentenced Naeem Arshad to 25 years in prison in 2015.
