The Supreme Court on Friday overturned the death sentence awarded to a murder convict by a trial court in 2007, converting the sentence into life imprisonment.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and comprising Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin, pronounced the verdict.

The convict, Karim Nawaz, was found guilty of murdering his sister, brother and a sister-in-law in Mianwali. A trial court had convicted Nawaz to death on three counts of murder and one count of terrorism.

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The convict had later reconciled with his family. Subsequently, the three convictions for murder were dropped by the trial court but the conviction for terrorism had been upheld.

On appeals, both the Lahore High Court and the apex court upheld the death sentence awarded on the basis of terrorism.

Arguing against converting the sentence, the additional prosecutor general said that the convict murdered three people and is now asking for relief.

To this, the chief justice said that it seems the crime was committed in a fit of temporary rage.

The bench then ruled to convert the death sentence into life imprisonment.