SHC quashes sentences of the accused in the Parveen Rehman murder case  

KARACHI, Nov 21,2022 – The Sindh High Court has quashed the sentences of the accused in the Parveen Rehman murder case.

The Sindh High Court allowed the appeals against the sentences of the accused Rahim Swati, Amjad Hussain, Ayaz Swati and Ahmed Hussain in the Parveen Rehman murder case and declared the sentences of the accused null and void.

The Sindh High Court in its decision said that if the accused in the Parveen Rehman murder case are not wanted in other cases, they should be released.

The Sindh High Court also issued a 38-page written decision on the appeals of the accused, in which it is said that an important aspect of the case is the interview given to a journalist in 2011 by Parveen Rehman, whether that interview is admissible or not. No, that interview was conducted in 2011 and aired after his murder.

Parveen Rehman, head of the Orangi Pilot Project, was murdered in 2013 and the accused named in his case were sentenced to two term life imprisonment by the Anti-Terrorism Court in December 2021.

The court said that the lawyers of the accused are of the opinion that this interview has no status legally. It was not recorded before the court, the court accepts the stand of the lawyers of the accused that the interview is not admissible.

It has been further stated in the court decision that the interview of the deceased may have been done keeping in view the law and order situation of Karachi. The JIT member of the case Babar Bakht also said in his statement that the deceased in her interview general accusations were also made against the political parties.

The JIT member said that there is no specific charge against any of the accused who are facing the case, while the prosecution has not even proved which political party the accused Rahim Swati belongs to. Yes, there is no concrete evidence against the accused.

According to the decision, the shells of the bullets found at the scene match the pistol of the accused Qari Bilal, who was killed in the police encounter. No such weapon has been recovered, no connection of the accused with Qari Bilal has been proved. The prosecution has not made any further investigation in this regard, so this evidence has no value.

FIA submits JIT report in Parveen Rehman murder case

The judgment further stated that the status of the JIT constituted in the Parveen Rehman murder case is not more than a challan of the case, the things mentioned in the JIT report had already come to light.

On the basis, the court cannot decide the punishment or innocence of an accused while the process of declaring the fugitive accused as public has not been completed. Suspicions have been found and the benefit of doubt is given to the accused in the case, therefore the sentence given to the accused by the trial court is null and void, the accused should be released if they are not wanted in any other case.

Parveen Rehman, head of the Orangi Pilot Project, was murdered in 2013 and the accused named in his case were sentenced to two term life imprisonment by the Anti-Terrorism Court in December 2021.