The Lahore High Court (LHC) has acquitted a woman and her friend who had been sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, giving them the benefit of the doubt. The court accepted their appeals and overturned the trial court’s 2021 death sentence verdict.
A detailed judgment was issued by Justice Shahram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Sardar Akbar Dogar. The verdict stated that, according to the prosecution, the woman had an illicit relationship with the accused, Dilawar. Her husband had objected to their meetings. The prosecution further alleged that the couple had attended a wedding, where the husband, Muneer, went missing and was later found dead. It was claimed that the woman and Dilawar, along with two unidentified individuals, were involved in his murder.
However, the court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the case, as there were no eyewitnesses to the crime. Citing superior court precedents, the court stated that the benefit of the doubt must be given to the accused. As a result, the convictions were overturned, and the accused were ordered to be released.
The murder case was initially registered by Sargodha police in 2019.
