ISLAMABAD: The father of Sarah Inam, the Canadian national who was allegedly murdered by her husband in capital last year, on Sunday demanded speedy trial of the case.

Addressing a press conference, Inamur Rehman flanked by Shaukat Mukadam, father of another victim of gender-based violence Noor Mukadam, said a year had passed but the trial of the case had yet not been completed.

Sarah Inam was murdered last year allegedly by her husband, Shahnawaz Amir, son of renowned journalist Ayaz Amir, at his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad.

The alleged killer is currently in jail on judicial remand.

Mr Inam appreciated the police for playing an effective role in the investigation, but lamented that the defence counsel had been delaying the proceedings. He alleged that lawyers were either often late to the case hearings or did not show up in court at all.

“Now we do not know whether it was a deliberate act or if he [defence counsel] was so busy that he could not manage his time,” Mr Inam said.

“An open and shut case has been stretched for an entire year,” he added.

Noor’s father Shaukat Mukadam called on the chief justice of Pakistan Justice Qazi Faez Isa to take notice of Sara’s murder as well as other similar cases.

He asserted that speedy trials should be conducted and culprits be given exemplary punishments to discourage gender-based violence.

He also talked about Noor Mukadam’s murder trial and broke down in tears while recalling the challenges he faced during that period.

Regarding Sarah’s murder case, a first information report (FIR) was registered in September 2022 on the complaint of Shahzad Town Station House Officer (SHO) Nawazish Ali Khan, initially under Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Later, the police added Section 109 (punishment for abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) of the PPC to the FIR and initiated proceedings against Shahnawaz’s parents.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023