SC rejects review petition against acquittal of murder accused

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Friday rejected a review petition against acquittal of an accused of a murder case in Pakpattan, ARY News reported.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa dismissed the review plea of the brother of murder victim Tariq Mehmood, against acquittal of accused Ahmed by the apex court.

Tariq Mehmood was killed in Pakpattan in year 2014.

Chief Justice Khosa, after dismissing the appeal, asked petitioner Safdar Siddique,” why the court dismissed your petition.”

Petitioner said that accused Ahmed had killed his brother.

“The question is, why Ahmed acquitted,” the CJP asked. Accused usually get acquitted over false witness accounts, the chief judge said. However, courts held responsible for acquittal of the accused due to false testimony, Justice Khosa said.

“Don’t demand justice, if you have no courage to speak truth,” Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said.

“You have recorded false witness account of the murder of your brother. You were not present at the place, where your brother was killed,” Justice Khosa further said.

“Why the court doesn’t act against you over perjury and awards you life sentence,” the chief justice asked the petitioner.

The court has started action against false witnesses and five of them facing court proceedings over perjury, the CJP further said.

“The justice is impossible without truth. Be a truthful witness even it is against your parents, brother or relatives, it is a divine command,” Justice Khosa added.

The trial court and Punjab High Court had awarded life sentence to accused Ahmed for 2014 murder of Tariq Mehmood in Pakpattan.

The Supreme Court had granted appeal of Ahmed and ordered his acquittal from the case.