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Pakistan's Sindh High Court on Friday commuted the sentence to a militant for the attempted murder of American educationist Dr Debra Lobo.
The 10-year term handed down under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) was commuted for the period the appellant had already undergone while in prison. A two-judge bench comprising Justice K. K. Agha and Justice Khadim Hussain Tunio set aside the conviction awarded under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) as it was not proven. The SHC said that the prosecution did not have sufficient evidence that the attack was with "design and intent to spread terror in society". After the conviction, the convict filed an appeal. He was also handed down a death sentence by a military court in the Safoora bus carnage case. A counsel was provided to the appellant at state expenses after he informed the bench that he could not financially afford a lawyer, reported Dawn. "The appellant has left himself at the mercy of the court to seek a chance for reformation and as per jail rule, the appellant has already served out over six-and-half years in jail without remission, which was sufficient for the court to reform the appellant," the bench said. Notably, the appellant along with his accomplices was convicted of shooting at and wounding Dr Lobo, the then vice-principal of Karachi's Jinnah Medical and Dental College, on Shaheed-i-Millat Road, in April 2015, reported the newspaper. (ANI)
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