SC overrules PHC's order, awards life sentence in teenager's murder case.

Byline: Nasir Iqbal

ISLAMABAD -- The Supreme Court on Thursday overruled the Peshawar High Court's (PHC) order of acquitting a murder suspect and handed him life sentence for killing a teenage boy. The court ordered the suspect's immediate arrest.

A three-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa took up the appeal of one Mohammad Ali who challenged the PHC's decision of acquitting Hazrat Ali who was awarded life sentence by the trial court for killing a 17-year boy.

The PHC in January last year had overturned the Nov 25, 2014 verdict of Additional Sessions Judge Izafi Zilla Qazi, Swat, of awarding live sentence to Hazrat Ali with a direction to set him free immediately.

Hazrat Ali was accused of killing Anwar Ali, brother of Mohammad Ali, with a 30-bore pistol in the Saidu Sharif Hospital (Swat). He was arrested on Feb 2, 2013.

CJP regrets that witnesses usually pay no regard to their oaths while testifying

In its order, the PHC had held that no incriminating evidence came to light that warranted conviction and the award of capital punishment to Hazrat Ali, rather the case of the prosecution was replete with sufficient doubts and contradictions, warranting acquittal of the appellant.

During the hearing on Thursday the CJP regretted that witnesses usually paid no regard to their oath while...