Man acquitted in student kidnapping case.

PESHAWAR -- A Peshawar High Court bench has set aside the life imprisonment sentence awarded to a person by an anti-terrorism court for kidnapping a student for ransom and acquitted him.

The bench of Justice Syed Afsar Shah and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim accepted an appeal filed by Abdul Aziz, a resident of Bara, Khyber tribal district, and pronounced that the evidence on record did not connect him with the commission of the offence.

The appellant was convicted by an anti-terrorism court and was sentenced to life imprisonment on two counts under section 365 A (kidnapping for ransom) of Pakistan Penal Code and section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act.

Petitioner was sentenced to life imprisonment on two counts by ATC

The prosecution had alleged that the appellant had kidnapped 13-year-old student Mafad Ahmad from Hayatabad Township on March 12, 2013.

It was alleged that the appellant had set him free after receiving a ransom of Rs15 million from the family members of the student.

Advocate Shabir Hussain Gigyani appeared for appellant and contended that the prosecution had alleged that the house where the kidnapped boy was kept was rented out to his client.

He added that it was also claimed that the car in which the boy was kidnapped belonged to a rent a car company and was rented out to the appellant.

He said that the prosecution did not produce the owners of the car and the house to testify against the appellant.

He argued that both those persons were necessary witnesses but they were not produced before the...