Karachi court awards double death sentence to Atif Zaman in anchor Mureed Abbas murder case

KARACHI: A Karachi court on Thursday delivered its verdict, seven years after anchor Mureed Abbas murder case, sentencing convict Atif Zaman to two death penalties after finding him guilty on two counts of murder.

On July 9, 2019, Atif had gunned down TV anchorperson Mureed Abbas, 34 and Khizar Hayat, 45 over a monetary dispute in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and then attempted suicide.

The verdict was announced by a court operating inside the Judicial Complex Jail.

The court also issued perpetual arrest warrants for co-accused Adil Zaman.

Mureed Abbas and Khizar Hayat were shot dead on July 9, 2019. A case was subsequently registered against Atif Zaman and Adil Zaman at Darakhshan Police Station.

According to the prosecution, the killings stemmed from a dispute over business and financial dealings.

The court noted that co-accused Adil Zaman absconded after the Supreme Court rejected his bail plea. He has already been declared a proclaimed offender by the trial court.

Read more: Mureed Abbas murder: Police fail to arrest absconder Adil Zaman

Earlier on September 10, 2020, the Supreme Court had revoked the bail granted to Adil Zaman, the co-accused in anchorperson Mureed Abbas murder case.

A three-judge bench, hearing a plea seeking the cancellation of Adil’s bail at the SC’s Karachi registry, had ordered police to arrest the accused and send him behind bars at once. The accused managed to flee from the court’s premises after the cancellation of bail.

Read: SC releases verdict regarding bail cancellation of Adil Zaman

Abbas’ wife Zara Abbas had approached the top court, stating that the Sindh High Court had ignored important evidence and granted bail to Adil. Her lawyer had contended that the accused was present at the crime scene when his brother, Atif Zaman, the prime accused in the case, shot and killed two persons, including her client’s husband.