SHANGLA: A sessions court in Shangla has handed down death sentence to an accused for murder of his wife, in what the court described as a “gruesome and deliberate act” masked initially as suicide.

The district and sessions judge, Shangla, Mamrez Khan Khalil, on Thursday announced the verdict in the murder case, sentencing the accused, Nazimuddin, son of Gul Hassan, resident of Pagorai Shangla, to death.

The court order mentioned that the convict had also been ordered to pay Rs4 million in compensation to the legal heirs of the deceased under Section 544-A of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The case pertains to the murder of Bakht Shad Zeba, the wife of the accused, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances on November 3, 2024. An FIR (No. 451/2024) was registered the same day at the Alpuri Police Station under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Initially, the incident was portrayed as a suicide. However, following further investigation and forensic evidence, it was revealed that the victim had been murdered. The complaint in the case was filed by the victim’s mother, Shaheen Zeba, who rejected the suicide claim and demanded a thorough investigation.

The court, in its written judgment, a copy of which is available with Dawn,stated that the evidence clearly established that the accused had intentionally murdered his wife. “The convict is to be hanged,” reads the court order.

Advocate Sultan Rom represented the complainant in court and pursued the case on behalf of the victim’s family.

The verdict has been hailed as a milestone by the local legal community, citing it as an important precedent in holding perpetrators of domestic violence accountable.

SNOWFALL: The Spenghar mountains of Shangla district on Thursday received snowfall. According to the locals, Spenghar received snowfall, while in the other parts of the district heavy rain triggered flooding in the streams and rivers.

The deputy commissioner, Shangla, Muhammad Fawad, said in a statement that the flow of water increased in the Bar Puran area where 21 people lost their lives during the last month.

He said that the rescue 1122 and administration teams had been sent to the area to take precautionary measures to avoid any mishap.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2025