SC acquits life sentence convict over false testimony

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday acquitted a life sentence convict Saifullah over false testimony and giving him benefit of doubt.

A trial court awarded Capital punishment to Saifullah over murder  of Tariq Mahmood Tarkish in Gujrat in 2006. The Lahore High Court converted the death sentence into life imprisonment.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed heard the case through video link from the SC Lahore Registry.

During the course of proceedings, the Chief Justice observed that deceased's father became witness in the case. It is the first thing in our culture that the eyes and mouths of the dead are closed, he added.

He observed that deceased's father narrated false story in testimony. He asked what to do with such false witnesses?

He remarked that son's body was lying before father but he was lying. After taking oath, he lied in the court that he was present on the occasion.

He observed that the victim's father hid the truth and recorded false testimony. When a person does something wrong, something goes wrong, he added.

Chief Justice remarked that this is the system of Allah that lies will never be hidden. He observed that the witness stated that two gun fires were fired but according to the First Information Report only one gun fire was fired. The plaintiff himself said that he arrived late and recorded false testimony, he added.

He remarked that there was a madarssah where 10,000 student were reciting Quran.

Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan remarked that the criminal appeals of the Lahore Registry would be zero in two to three weeks. With a population of 12 million in Lahore, it is a great achievement to have zero criminal appeal, he added.

He remarked that now the apex court is hearing criminal appeals of Lahore Registry which were left pending.