PHC Acquits Man in Honor Killing Case, Overturning Life Sentence
Peshawar High Court has acquitted a man who had been convicted in a case related to honour killing. The accused, Sharifullah, had originally received a life sentence for allegedly murdering his own daughter in the name of honour within the jurisdiction of Gumbat police station in Kohat. However, a bench comprising Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah accepted the defendant’s appeal and overturned the sentence, resulting in his exoneration.
Advocate Syed Shah Saud represented the accused during the legal proceedings, which initially led to his conviction under sections 302 and 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Sharifullah was arrested on September 12, 2020, and the trial concluded with a life imprisonment sentence on January 31, 2022. Nevertheless, the Peshawar High Court’s decision nullified the lower court’s verdict, ultimately leading to the accused’s acquittal.
Kohistan Man Seeks Police Protection Amid Jirga Death Threats
A man in Kohistan, fearing a death sentence issued by a local jirga, urgently sought police assistance to protect himself and his brother from a deadly “death squad.” The jirga’s orders stemmed from a 2012 viral video showing girls cheering for boys dancing, which led to a string of nine killings, including four of the man’s brothers and five girls. Following a recent court decision overturning the life imprisonment of three individuals connected to the case, the threats escalated.
Initially, 13 police personnel were assigned to their security, but the number has dwindled to just four. The man expressed deep concern as the jirga-appointed death squad had already executed his brothers, Gul Wali and Sher Nazir, in 2013, and Afzal Kohistani in 2019, all on the jirga’s orders. Additionally, he himself was labeled a “pervert” by the jirga due to his involvement in recording the video where his brother, Gul Nazar, was cheered on by girls while dancing.
IHC Grants Government One-Month Extension to Act on Missing Baloch Students Report
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted the government an additional month to submit a report on the implementation of an inquiry commission’s recommendations regarding the missing Baloch students. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC expressed hope that the government would issue a written order based on the commission’s suggestions, emphasizing the importance of addressing human rights violations in this sensitive matter. Baloch students have allegedly been forcibly disappeared, and their families are searching for them, urging the government to fulfill its responsibility in locating them.
The court was hearing a petition filed by human rights activist and lawyer Imaan Mazari, who sought the enforcement of the commission’s recommendations and inquired about government personnel visiting educational institutions attended by Baloch students. Justice Kayani stated that the court would assess the extent to which the recommendations had been put into action once the report is received. He underscored that it is the government’s duty to act on these recommendations due to the potential far-reaching consequences of the issue. The hearing of the case was adjourned until November 14th.
