June 26, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 21, 1429

PESHAWAR, June 25: The Peshawar High Court has acquitted two juvenile offenders sentenced to 14 years rigorous imprisonment each by the trial court in a double-murder case.

A single bench comprising Justice Syed Yahya Zahid Gillani accepted an appeal filed by the two convicts, Sabir Khan and Amjid Khan, and set aside the verdict of the subordinate court.

The bench ruled that the evidence on record did not connect the appellants with the commission of the offence. The trial court had earlier acquitted two other accused, Said Khan and Noor Zaman, and had convicted the two appellants.

The four of them were charged with the killing of two persons, Habibur Rehman and Kalam, at Mathani. The union council nazim of the area, Abdul Malik, was complainant in the case.

The motive behind the murder was stated to be old blood feud. Advocate Khursheed Ahmad Shahan appeared for the appellant and contended that both the appellants were juveniles and were falsely implicated in the case. —Bureau Report