KARACHI: A model court on Saturday awarded life imprisonment to an accused for murdering his wife.

Ansar with co-accused Anwari Begum and Maira was found guilty of strangulating his wife, Afshan, to death in Zaman Town in June 2019.

The additional district and sessions judge of the model criminal trial court (East), Haleem Ahmed, pronounced his verdict reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The judge also ordered accused Ansar to pay Rs1,500,000 as compensation to the heirs of the victim.

The judge awarded six-month imprisonment to co-accused Anwari Begum and Maira.

However, the judge acquitted two other accused — Saba and Hira — by extending the benefit of the doubt to them.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons strangled Afshan, who was two-months pregnant, just after six months of her marriage.

A case was registered under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 202 (Intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code on complaint of the victim’s father, Mohammad Saleem.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2020