KARACHI, Nov 22: A sessions court on Tuesday handed down death sentence to a man who killed his brother-in-law in the name of honour.

The court found Abdul Ghaffar guilty of killing Zulfiqar, who had contracted a court marriage with the former's sister, in July 2007 within the remit of the Sohrab Goth police station.

A co-accused, Elahi Bux alias Nooruddin, was acquitted for want of evidence.

Additional District and Session Judge (Malir) Munawar Sultana pronounced her verdict after recording evidence of witnesses and final arguments from both sides.

The court in its verdict observed that all the prosecution witnesses testified against Abdul Ghaffar, who had also recorded his confessional statement under Section 164 of the criminal procedure code before a judicial magistrate.

The verdict said that the medical and other documentary evidence also supported the prosecution case and the charge against the accused was successfully proved beyond a shadow of a doubt.However, the court ruled that the prosecution was unable to bring enough evidence against co-accused Elahi Bux to link him with the commissioning of the alleged offence.

According to the prosecution, Zakia had contracted a freewill marriage with Zulfiqar without the consent of her family. Subsequently, on July 9, 2007 the woman's brother, Abdul Ghaffar, and a brother-in-law, Elahi Bux, killed the victim by slitting his throat at his residence in Ahsanabad and also buried the body inside the house, it stated.

During the investigation, the police took Abdul Ghaffar into custody who led the police to the place of the incident and the body was exhumed under the supervision of a magistrate, it added. Later, the co-accused was also apprehended on a lead given by the arrested accused. But he was released on bail.

A case (FIR 325/2007) was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Sohrab Goth police station on a complaint of a relative of the victim.

The convict was produced in court in custody and following the pronouncement of the verdict, the court sent him back to prison along with his conviction warrant, but ruled that the death sentence was subject to confirmation of the high court.