LHC Acquits Death-row Prisoner in Murder Case
Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday acquitted Muhammad Farhan, who was sentenced to death in a murder case, after setting aside the death sentence and ordering his immediate release from prison.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Farooq Haider and Justice Ameer Ajam Khan issued a 19-page written verdict on Muhammad Farhan's appeal against his conviction and death sentence.
Key Findings:
- The court observed that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
- The statements of witnesses produced by the prosecution were deemed unreliable.
- There were contradictions in the prosecution record and a delay in registering the First Information Report (FIR).
- Testimonies of the deceased's son and brother were questioned due to insufficient explanations for their presence at the relevant time.
- No reasonable explanation was provided for the delay in submitting police documents for the post-mortem examination.
- The USB drive produced as evidence was found unreliable.
Consequently, the Lahore High Court set aside Muhammad Farhan's death sentence, acquitted him and ordered his immediate release.