PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has rejected bail plea of a suspect arrested on charges of honour-related murder of his female relative and injuries to two of her in-laws in Malakand district last year.

A bench consisting of Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar observed that in the light of cursory analysis of the material on record, reasonable grounds existed for prima facie involvement of the petitioner, Zahoorur Rehman, in honour killing of the deceased lady, therefore, his prayer for bail could not be accepted in the circumstance.

The FIR of the occurrence was registered at Police Station Dargai, Malakand, on July 10, 2023, under different provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The complainant in the FIR was Mudassir, father-in-law of the deceased woman Ms Asma, who had stated that he along with the Ms Asma and his daughter Ms Warida, had gone to a local hospital in a cab. He stated that when they were returning, the present petitioner Zahoorur Rehman and two of the other suspects Zahri Nawaz and Afsar Nawab started firing at them which resulted in death of Ms Asma and injuries to him and his daughter.

The complainant claimed that the deceased had entered into a court marriage with his son named Nigar over which her family members including the three suspects were annoyed.

The bench observed that the record reflected that the report was lodged by the complainant who was accompanying the deceased and injured ladies in the same motorcar and he had remained victim of the same occurrence by sustaining firearm wounds on his body.

It was observed that the occurrence took place in daylight and in presence of the injured eyewitnesses as well as driver of the motorcar.

The bench observed that the complainant in his initial statement had specifically charged the petitioner for effective firing upon the deceased woman wow as the bone of contention as per version of the prosecution in view of her love marriage with the complainant’s son Nigar.

It was added that medical evidence was in line with the contents of the FIR and the prosecution version was further corroborated by recovery of two pistols from the possession of the petitioner at the time of his arrest.

Additional advocate general Haqnawaz Khan produced a copy of an application of Sept 13, 2022, moved the deceased woman to assistant commissioner, tehsil Dargai, seeking legal action against the present petitioner and other suspects with further request for taking a security bond from them as she apprehended life threats to her and her husband from them.

He stated that the motive mentioned by the complainant for the commission of the offence couldn’t be ignored while deciding the present petition.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner stated that the mother of the deceased named Ms Sabila, had got no objection over the release of the petitioner in bail. He stated that the statement of the cab driver had also created doubts as it was not in line with that of the complainant.

The bench observed that as far as the no objection of Ms Sabila was concerned, the petitioner was her brother-in-law husband of her sister) and on account of the said relation she favoured the petitioner.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2024