KARACHI, April 16: Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaffery of Sindh High Court on Friday acquitted two accused Muhammad Niaz and Amir Khusro in a murder case.

According to prosecution, Ali Asghar was going to buy some edibles when two persons shot and wounded him on Jan 30, 1997.

His brother-in-law and father-in-law, Irshad and Zahir Shah, who reached the spot soon after the incident were told by Ali Asghar that some unidentified persons shot at him.

He died on the way to a hospital. Irshad and Zahir told the medico-legal officer at the hospital and police that unidentified men had shot at Asghar. Later, Naseem Akhtar, wife of the deceased, appeared at the police station and told the police that she had also reached the spot soon after firing and that the deceased had told her that Niaz and Khusro fired at him.

The accused were arrested and tried by ADJ South Nuzhat Ara Alvi, who sentenced both the accused to serve a life term. The convicts preferred instant appeal through their counsel Barrister Azizullah K. Shaikh.

Barrister Shaikh assisted by Shaista Shamim advocate stated that in initial reports the case was against unidentified persons while after passage of 12 hours Niaz and Khusro were implicated at the behest of Naseem Akhtar due to some personal enmity.

Explaining the enmity, the counsel submitted that Nasim Akhtar was married to Niaz, but, he divorced her before "Rukhsati" and in order to avenge, she falsely implicated the appellants as an "after thought".

Akhtar Rehana, counsel for state, did not oppose the contentions raised by Azizullah K. Shaikh after which the bench acquitted the accused. -APP