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After 24 years on death row, murder accused acquitted by Supreme Court

Fri, November 25, 2016

A man who spent 24 years on death row was acquitted by the Supreme Court (SC) Friday after the court found evidence against him 'inadequate'.

Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, who led the three-member bench hearing the case said, "There is a discrepancy between the prosecution's evidence and the statements of the witnesses."

"The high court did not consider the case from all angles," Khosa added, saying the pistol presented as evidence to the court did not belong to the accused.

Mazhar, a resident of Kasur, was accused of killing Nisar Ahmed in 1992 over a land ownership dispute in the city.

After murdering Ahmed, Mazhar remained at large for three years, Asghar Gul, the prosecutor on the case, claimed.

"He (Mazhar) is also involved in other crimes," the prosecutor added.

A sessions court in Kasur convicted Mazhar of murder and sentenced him to death. The high court upheld the verdict. Mazhar then appealed to SC in 2011, which overturned the lower court's' ruling.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2016

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