The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has overturned the 25-year rigorous imprisonment given to a murder convict and has ordered a retrial.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani questioned the trial court’s reasoning for not awarding the death penalty to the accused, Shehzad alias Shani, convicted of murdering a woman for rejecting his marriage proposal.
Key Points:
- Court raised concerns over reduced punishment in the murder case.
- Retrial ordered with a 45-day deadline for a new judgment.
- Sentence under Section 302(c) deemed “unjustified” without valid reasoning.
The IHC observed that the trial court’s judgment lacked clarity on why the death penalty was not imposed in a case of premeditated murder, emphasizing that leniency should only be granted under exceptional circumstances with strong justification.
Case Details:
On November 30, 2020, Shehzad shot Sonia in the head after she rejected his marriage proposal. Sonia’s family alleged that Shehzad had been stalking her for months, proposed marriage, and threatened to kill her and her father after rejection.
The convict was sentenced to 25 years on September 30, 2023, by an additional sessions judge. The high court has now directed the trial court to re-evaluate evidence, hear arguments, and issue a well-reasoned verdict, addressing why the death penalty was not imposed.
