The Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted three convicts while maintained death sentence of the two in a murder case. A two-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa heard the appeals of five persons, who killed eight people outside the District Court, Kharian. The bench acquitted three accused Mehdi Khan, Mian Khan and Liaquat Ali, while dismissed the appeals of Lal Khan and Irfan.
In 2005, eight persons were killed and five got injured outside the District Court, Kharian. The trial court awarded death sentence to seven persons. However, the Lahore High Court released two accused, but maintained the death sentence of three accused, while two died in the jail.
The Chief Justice remarked that the prosecution nominated 30 persons in the first information report (FIR.) He questioned, "Should the court accept it if the prosecution registers case against 35 to 40 persons?"
The public prosecutor told that the incident took place outside the district court wherein eight persons were killed and five got injured. The Chief Justice said that this is very tragic incident, but the court can't award death sentence to as many people as have been accused in the FIR. The Chief Justice said that the witnesses should speak truth.
The public prosecutor contended that two or four persons can't kill eight people. The Chief Justice remarked that it is established that the witnesses did not speak truth. The witnesses state whatever they like, he added.
The Chief Justice said that the witnesses should speak truth in the courts even if it is against one's own daughter, brother, son or parents. The justice should be based on truth, but in this case truth is not spoken. He said that unless two or four witnesses are sentenced for telling a tie then things would improve, adding some witnesses are facing trial. During the trial, the Chief Justice remarked that there is no appeal against the criminal cases from Islamabad pending before this apex court, adding now they are hearing appeals of Lahore-related criminal cases.