KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday morning annulled the life sentence awarded to four accused in the Parveen Rehman murder case.
In its order, the High Court ordered the release of Rahim Swati, Ayaz Swati, Amjad Hussain Khan and Ahmed Khan alias Pappu Kashmiri, who had appealed against the verdict of the Anti-Terrorism Court.
In December last year, the ATC court in the metropolis had sentenced the four accused to life imprisonment in the social worker’s murder case.
The ATC sentenced Ayaz, Rahim, Amjad and Ahmed to double life imprisonment for his murder.
The fifth accused, Imran Swati, was sentenced to seven years in prison for being an accomplice in Rahman’s murder.
After passing the order, the high court asked the authorities concerned to release the four if they are not wanted in any other case.
Murder
Parveen, a noted urban planner and social activist, was shot dead on March 13, 2013, minutes after she left her office for home on the Banaras flyover in her car.
The case was initially registered at the Pirabad police station under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (conspiratorial intent) of the Pakistan Penal Code. However, the Supreme Court ordered a judicial inquiry which was conducted by the then District and Sessions Judge Ghulam Mustafa Memon. Subsequently, Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 was added to the FIR.
Investigation of the murder case has revealed that Orangi Pilot Project Director Rehman was killed by assassins for Rs 40 lakh.
A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was formed to probe the murder of the social worker.
Accused Hussain had told the team that Rahim and local ANP leader Ayaz Rehman were asking him to hand over a piece of land to them.
However, after his refusal, the political party leader paid a banned outfit to kill him, he told the JIT.
Investigations further revealed that his murder was planned in January 2013 at Rahim’s residence in which Hussain, Ayaz Swati and Ahmed Khan were present.
The accused hired two militants of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), Mahfouzullah alias “Bhalu” and Musa, to kill him for Rs 40 lakh.
Hussain and the other accused monitored Rehman for two months and provided information about his activities and whereabouts to militants of the banned outfit.
After getting enough information about him, the two militants shot him dead on March 23, 2013.
Hussain told the JIT that after the killing, Rahim did not pay the militants. After which members of the outlawed TTP attacked Rahim’s house with a hand grenade.
