The Lahore High Court (LHC) has delivered a significant verdict by overturning the death sentence of an individual convicted of murder, who was allegedly motivated by the victim’s refusal of his marriage proposal. The decision has raised serious questions regarding the efficiency and thoroughness of the prosecution and evidence gathering within the justice system.
A division bench, comprising Justice Shahram Sarwar and Justice Sardar Ali Akbar Dogar, issued a detailed written decision on the appeal, effectively nullifying the verdict passed by the trial court in 2022.
The court’s decision hinged on critical failures within the prosecution’s strategy. While the motive cited was the rejection of the marriage proposal, the LHC highlighted key procedural lapses, most notably a delay of seven hours in conducting the victim’s post-mortem examination, potentially compromising forensic evidence.
The written judgment concluded unequivocally that the prosecution “completely failed” to prove its case against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt. Based on the lack of substantial evidence, the Lahore High Court ordered the immediate acquittal and release of the convicted individual.
