The Sindh High Court (SHC) acquitted on Monday all five men sentenced in the murder case of renowned rights activist Perween Rehman and ordered their release, Aaj News reported. Rehman was gunned down near her office in Orangi Town in March 2013.

Last year, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Karachi had awarded life imprisonment to Raheem Swati, Ayaz Swati, Amjad Hussain Khan, Ahmed Khan alias Pappu Kashmiri, while Imran Swati had been sentenced to seven years jail term.

However, a two-member SHC bench, comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi, in their verdict today said that none of the accused had been charged with “actually murdering” Rehman.

During the hearing, the bench said that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt any offences against the accused.

The SHC said that the accused shall be released unless wanted in any other custody case.

Four accused in Parveen Rehman murder case awarded life imprisonment

A case of Rehman's murder was registered at the Pirabad police station under sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Rehman held a postgraduate diploma in housing, building, and urban planning from the Institute of Housing Studies in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and had devoted her life to the development of impoverished neighbourhoods.