In a major development, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has apparently ordered the release of the prime suspects in the Perween Rahman murder.
According to the details, the SHC overturned the death sentences handed over to the accused in the Perween Rahman murder case by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). SHC also ordered the release of the accused if they were not wanted in any other case.
Last year in December, an ATC had sentenced Raheem Swati, Ayaz Swati, Amjad Hussain Khan, and Ahmed Khan to back-to-back life imprisonment in the murder case of the social activist. Meanwhile, the fifth accused, Imran Swati, was awarded a sentence of seven years for being an accomplice in the murder.
The acquittal of those behind the murder of Perween Rahman has raised a storm on social media as netizens question the justice system.
Read more: Rethinking the criminal justice system in Pakistan
MashaAllah. Must’ve been the superior prosecution that gave justice to the murderers of Parveen Rehman. https://t.co/lZxKbBRYFf
— Asad Sultan (@AsadSultan18) November 21, 2022
The acquittal of Parveen Rahman murder alleged culprits is highly disturbing.
One after another heinous crime cases victims are getting no relief from higher judiciary.
Hope @SindhGovt1 can file an appeal & pursue vigorously.
— Salman Sufi (Get New Covid Booster Today) (@SalmanSufi7) November 21, 2022
All parveen rahman wanted was to make clean water accessible to people in karachi. And they killed her.
Today her killers walk free.
— m (@naheinyaar) November 21, 2022
Just read that the Sindh High Court acquitted all convicts in Perween Rahman’s murder case. What is this country? 9 years later no hope for justice.
— Fizzah Sajjad (@FizzahSajjad) November 21, 2022
Murder of Perween Rahman
Perween, who was a renowned urban planner and social activist, was murdered in a drive-by shooting on her car at the Banaras flyover a few minutes after she left her office for home on March 13, 2013.
Investigation into the murder case revealed that Rahman, who was the director of the Orangi Pilot Project, was murdered by hitmen for Rs4 million. Raheem and local ANP leader Ayaz were asking Rahman to hand over a piece of land to them.
However, after she refused, the political party’s leader paid a banned organization to murder her. The accused tasked two militants — Mehfozullah alias “Bhaloo” and Moosa — of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) to kill her in exchange for Rs4 million.
Read more: TTP calling Pakistan a “butcher state” goes viral in India
The accused surveilled Rahman for two months and provided information regarding her activities and whereabouts to the militants of the banned outfit. After they had ample information about her, both the militants shot her down on March 23, 2013.