The Supreme Court on Thursday suspended the acquittal of Member National Assembly (MNA) Abid Raza in a murder case registered under Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) over settlement and restored sentences.
The MNA was sentenced to death in the murder case of six people in Gujrat under the ATA but was freed after a compromise with the aggrieved.
The bench while hearing the case related to Raza’s disqualification took notice over his acquittal in terrorism charges.
The court referred the case back to Lahore High Court (LHC) with a direction to announce decision over appeals filed by the convicts against their sentences in two months.
The five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik heard the suo-moto notice case.
During the course of proceedings, Advocate Munir Bhatti, counsel for the accused, appeared before the court and stated that the family of the victim had forgiven his client after settlement. He pleaded the court to maintain LHC’s verdict regarding acquittal of his client.
The chief justice remarked that a compromise was not allowed in a case registered under ATA (1997). The court suspended the convict’s acquittal order and restored the trial court sentences and disposed of the case.
The elected member from NA-107, Raza was sentenced to death by a Gujranwala Anti Terrorism Court in 2001.
