Rehmatullah and 5 others V. Aziz Ullah and another,
MLD 2020 1990 · Balochistan High Court
This case involved an appeal against the acquittal of a man named Azizullah, who had been accused of murdering Attaullah by stabbing him with a knife. The incident occurred at Azizullah's house, where the deceased was reportedly a guest. The victim's brother filed the murder case after being told his brother was found injured and later died from his wounds.
The prosecution had no direct eyewitness to the stabbing itself. The case relied entirely on circumstantial evidence. Notably, witness testimony showed that it was Azizullah himself who alerted a neighbor about the injured man and actively helped transport the victim to the hospital, even staying there afterward without attempting to flee. The court found it illogical that someone who had just committed a violent murder in his own home would then seek help to save the victim's life rather than escape. There was also no evidence of any motive or enmity between the accused and the deceased.
The Balochistan High Court upheld the trial court's acquittal, emphasizing key legal principles: in cases based on circumstantial evidence, the chain of proof must be complete and point unerringly to guilt, leaving no room for innocence. Courts must give the "benefit of doubt" to an accused when the prosecution's case has gaps. Additionally, an acquittal carries a "double presumption of innocence," meaning appellate courts should only overturn it in cases of serious injustice, not merely because another view is possible. The appeal was dismissed.
یہ مقدمہ عزیز اللہ نامی ایک شخص کی بریت کے خلاف دائر کی گئی اپیل سے متعلق تھا، جس پر الزام تھا کہ اس نے چاقو کے وار سے عطاء اللہ کو قتل کیا تھا۔ یہ واقعہ عزیز اللہ کے گھر پر پیش آیا، جہاں مقتول مبینہ طور پر مہمان کے طور پر موجود تھا۔ مقتول کے بھائی نے یہ اطلاع ملنے پر کہ اس کا بھائی زخمی حالت میں پایا گیا ہے اور بعد ازاں زخموں کی تاب نہ لاتے ہوئے جاں بحق ہو گیا، قتل کا مقدمہ درج کرایا۔
استغاثہ کے پاس چاقو کے وار کا کوئی بھی چشم دید گواہ موجود نہ تھا۔ یہ مقدمہ مکمل طور پر حالاتی شہادت پر مبنی تھا۔ قابلِ ذکر بات یہ ہے کہ گواہوں کی شہادت سے ظاہر ہوا کہ یہ خود عزیز اللہ ہی تھا جس نے ایک پڑوسی کو زخمی شخص کے بارے میں آگاہ کیا اور مقتول کو ہسپتال منتقل کرنے میں سرگرمی سے مدد کی، اور اس کے بعد بھی فرار ہونے کی بجائے وہیں موجود رہا۔ عدالت نے اسے غیر منطقی قرار د