ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: A news clipping saved the life of a convict undergoing capital punishment for the last fifteen years when the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court acquitted him here on Tuesday.

The bench comprised Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, Justice Nawaz Abbasi, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Allama Dr Khalid Mahmood and Justice Allama Dr Rashid Ahmed Jullundhari.

Sardar Latif Khosa, the counsel for the convict, presented the press clipping dated August 6, 1989, from an Urdu daily before the bench to establish the fact that his client was actually arrested on August 5, 1989, but his remand was sought after keeping the accused in illegal detention for about a month on September 2, 1989.

He argued that the police had forced the accused to give his confessional statement after keeping him in illegal custody.

Asif Mahmood, a resident of Chakwal, was arrested on charge of killing one Ghulam Mustafa. The case was registered in police station Kalar Kahar. The trial court sentenced him to capital punishment, which was upheld by the Federal Shariat Court.

Subsequently, he filed an appeal before the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court in 1991. Since then the appeal had been pending.

The bench after accepting the news clipping as an evidence ordered the release of the convict from the Adiala Jail.