SC Calls Violence Over Khula a Constitutional Attack
The Supreme Court has declared violence against women seeking khula an attack on the Constitution. It said the law will act firmly against those who target women exercising this right.
The remarks came in a detailed four-page judgment by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar. The court dismissed convict Waseem Abbas’s jail petition and upheld his death sentence.
The case involved the murder of his former wife, Shehnaz Bibi. The Supreme Court also declared a woman’s right to seek khula a constitutional right.The court referred to Articles 9, 14 and 25 of the Constitution. These provisions protect women’s rights, dignity and equality under the law.
Court Upholds Death Sentence
According to the judgment, Shehnaz Bibi had secured a khula decree from a Family Court. Just 48 hours later, Abbas allegedly entered her home with a weapon.He opened fire during a dispute linked to their marriage. The court said he fired six bullets, hitting Shehnaz in the abdomen, hand and back.She died from her injuries on October 11, 2020. The court described the killing as a brutal and deliberate act.
It said killing a woman for exercising a lawful right shows open defiance of the law. Therefore, the convict did not deserve any relief or concession.The court also addressed evidence from domestic crime cases. It said relatives’ statements cannot face rejection simply because they knew the victim.
Forensic Evidence Supports Conviction
The Supreme Court also examined forensic evidence presented in the case. It found a match between spent bullet casings and the pistol recovered during the investigation.The court considered this evidence conclusive in connecting the weapon with the crime. It found no legal flaw in the decisions of the lower courts.
The trial court had sentenced Abbas to death and awarded 10 years in prison. Later, the Lahore High Court upheld his conviction and sentence.As a result, the Supreme Court dismissed his petition. His death sentence will therefore remain in force.
