KARACHI: The retrial of the murder case of 20-year-old Shahzeb Khan began in the court of Sessions Judge District South on Tuesday.
During the first hearing of the retrial today, the Sessions Judge has decided to hear the case on daily basis.
In his remarks, the judge observed that the parties to the ‘settlement’ will be summoned to the court. The documents pertaining to the ‘settlement’ will also be verified, he stated.
Shahzeb Khan was gunned down by the son of an influential feudal in a posh locality of Karachi in 2012. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in 2013 had awarded death sentences to Shahrukh Jatoi and Siraj Talpur for the murder of Shahzeb Khan, while life sentences were awarded to Sajjad Ali Talpur and Ghulam Murtaza Lashari.
However, on November 28 the murder case took a dramatic turn when the Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered a retrial, striking down the death penalty awarded to the convicts by the ATC.
In its order, the SHC stated that an act of revenge over personal enmity did not equate to an act of terrorism.
In light of the arguments, the bench noted that “this was a case of personal vendetta” and that “Section 6 of Anti-Terrorism Act was misapplied by the police” and that the “trial was not proper.”
The order further said: “Accordingly, impugned judgment is set-aside and case is remanded back to ordinary Court (Sessions Court),” where the matter will be decided within the four corners of the law.
