A man who spent 24 years on death row was acquitted by the Supreme Court (SC) Friday after the court found evidence against him 'inadequate'.

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who led the three-member bench hearing the case said, "There is a discrepancy between the prosecution's evidence and the statements of the witnesses."

"The high court did not consider the case from all angles," Khosa added, saying the pistol presented as evidence to the court did not belong to the accused.

Mazhar, a resident of Kasur, was accused of killing Nisar Ahmed in 1992 over a land ownership dispute in the city.

After murdering Ahmed, Mazhar remained at large for three years, Asghar Gul, the prosecutor on the case, claimed.

"He (Mazhar) is also involved in other crimes," the prosecutor added.

A sessions court in Kasur convicted Mazhar of murder and sentenced him to death. The high court upheld the verdict. Mazhar then appealed to SC in 2011, which overturned the lower court's' ruling.

Opinion

Editorial

Under siege
Updated 03 May, 2024

Under siege

Whether through direct censorship, withholding advertising, harassment or violence, the press in Pakistan navigates a hazardous terrain.
Meddlesome ways
03 May, 2024

Meddlesome ways

AFTER this week’s proceedings in the so-called ‘meddling case’, it appears that the majority of judges...
Mass transit mess
03 May, 2024

Mass transit mess

THAT Karachi — one of the world’s largest megacities — does not have a mass transit system worth the name is ...
Punishing evaders
02 May, 2024

Punishing evaders

THE FBR’s decision to block mobile phone connections of more than half a million individuals who did not file...
Engaging Riyadh
Updated 02 May, 2024

Engaging Riyadh

It must be stressed that to pull in maximum foreign investment, a climate of domestic political stability is crucial.
Freedom to question
02 May, 2024

Freedom to question

WITH frequently suspended freedoms, increasing violence and few to speak out for the oppressed, it is unlikely that...