Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman maintained a lower court’s death sentence awarded to a murderer who had killed his wife and son
Earlier a sessions judge had also found him guilty of the charges. Rehman observed in his ruling that the courts just could not set a murder loose back in society. In June 2001, the convict Zahid Rehman had confessed to killing his wife and son during the investigation into the case.
The motive behind those killings as disclosed by the Zahid was that his wife had been unfaithful and was a “morally corrupt woman”. Zahid was convicted under Section-302 (b) PPC by a sessions judge who sentenced him to death on two accounts. He was also told him to pay a compensation of Rs 300,000 to the legal heirs of the victims.
Later the convict moved the high court seeking a milder punishment while his mother in law and the mother of the murdered women also moved the high court seeking a raise in the compensation money. On Friday afternoon, however, the decade-long case passed another milestone when the chief justice upheld the death sentence. The counsel for the appellant argued that his client was provoked by his wife’s “immoral activities” and hence was provoked enough to take the matter into his own hands.
The judge, however, observed that whatsoever might be the motive, the killing of human being could not be condoned and tolerated and that the accused not only killed his wife, he also took the life of his own son.
