Sara Inam murder convict challenges death penalty in IHC

ISLAMABAD: Sara Inam murder convict Shahnawaz Amir has challenged death penalty in Islamabad High Court, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Advocate Nisar Asghar has filed appeal in the high court against the trial court’s verdict in the case. The lawyer has pleaded to the high court to declare the trial court’s December 14 decision as void.

Shahnawaz Amir was convicted to death, while the co-accused Samina Shah was acquitted in the murder case.

“The conviction decision has been against the law and facts of the case,” according to the plea.

Petitioner claimed that prosecution had concocted a story for indictment, while it utterly failed to produce substantial evidence.

The petitioner sought acquittal of the convict in murder case.

A district and sessions court in Islamabad awarded death penalty and Rs one million fine to Shahnawaz Amir in murder of his wife Sara Inam.

Sara, a Canadian national, was murdered by Shahnawaz, her husband and son of renowned journalist Ayaz Amir, in Islamabad on December 23, 2022.

The court acquitted Shahnawaz’s mother, Samina Shah, who was co-accused in the case.

Sara Inam, 37-year-old, was living at a farmhouse in the area where she was found dead. She was reportedly murdered with a dumbbell and her body was hidden in a bathtub in bathroom.

The convict’s father was discharged from the case and his mother Sameena Shah was granted post-arrest bail in November last year. On December 5, both Shahnawaz and his mother were indicted in the case.