Issuing a detailed decision in Tipu Truckanwala murder case, spreading over nine pages, the Supreme Court on Saturday upheld the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision to award life imprisonment to Khurram Ijaz, a convict, and also removed terrorism-related sections from the case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The apex court also rejected the appeal filed against the acquittal of another convict, Syed Ahsan Shah, on the grounds that Shah’s name was not included in the FIR and that the subordinate court’s verdict to acquit him was right.
Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim authored the judgement.
In its decision, the SC noted that the Tipu Truckanwala murder case had nothing to do with terrorism, and was the consequence of personal enmity. “The fact that the murder took place in a public place does not make it a terrorism-related case,” the court said, adding that the prosecution had failed to give any concrete reason for the murder, and according to the law, death penalty could not be awarded if the reason for the crime was not given.
On January 20, 2010, Arif Ameer alias Tipu Truckanwala was shot dead while he was about to enter his car at Lahore airport’s parking area after returning from Dubai.
Friends of the deceased, who were present on the occasion, handed Khurram Ijaz, the prime suspect, to the police.
Ijaz had told the interrogators that Truckanwala was backing the murderers of his brother.
In May 2011, an anti-terrorism court had twice awarded death penalty to Ijaz.
However, in October 2019, the LHC commuted the sentence to life imprisonment.
Reporter: Amanat Gishkori