Dad Muhammad and another V. The State and another,
PCrLJ 2012 1458 · Balochistan High Court
This case involved an appeal by Dad Muhammad, who was convicted and sentenced to death by an Additional Sessions Judge in Kalat for murdering his daughter, Mst. Ayesha Bibi. The trial court found that after she married against family wishes, she was strangled and her body was buried, then later dug up and thrown into a well, allegedly involving the accused, his son-in-law, and unknown men, with the accused declaring her "siyahkar" (a term used to justify killing over perceived dishonor). The prosecution relied mainly on circumstantial evidence, including a witness who had last seen the deceased with the accused, and the accused himself leading police to the grave and well.
The Balochistan High Court upheld the conviction, finding the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt through consistent, credible circumstantial evidence, including an independent witness with no reason to falsely implicate the accused. However, the court reduced the death sentence to life imprisonment, citing mitigating factors: the killing stemmed from perceived humiliation caused by the deceased, other unidentified persons were also allegedly involved, the accused was 73 years old, and the prosecution had failed to establish exactly who physically strangled the victim.
This case matters because it illustrates how Pakistani courts weigh circumstantial evidence in murder cases and how courts can exercise discretion to commute death sentences to life imprisonment when mitigating circumstances exist, even after upholding a conviction. It also reflects judicial scrutiny of so-called "
یہ مقدمہ داد محمد کی اپیل سے متعلق ہے جسے کوئٹہ کے ایڈیشنل سیشن جج، کلات نے اپنی بیٹی مسماۃ عائشہ بی بی کے قتل کے جرم میں مجرم قرار دیتے ہوئے سزائے موت سنائی تھی۔ ٹرائل کورٹ نے پایا کہ عائشہ بی بی نے خاندان کی مرضی کے خلاف شادی کی تھی، جس کے بعد اسے گلا گھونٹ کر قتل کر دیا گیا اور اس کی لاش کو دفن کر دیا گیا، بعد ازاں لاش کو نکال کر ایک کنویں میں پھینک دیا گیا۔ الزام کے مطابق اس جرم میں ملزم، اس کا داماد، اور کچھ نامعلوم افراد ملوث تھے، اور ملزم نے اسے "سیاہ کار" قرار دیا تھا، ایک ایسی اصطلاح جو مبینہ بے عزتی کی بنیاد پر قتل کو جواز فراہم کرنے کے لیے استعمال کی جاتی ہے۔ استغاثہ کا ان