Court Verdict After Seven-Year Trial
An Additional District and Sessions Court in Karachi sentenced accused Atif Zaman to death on Thursday for the murders of anchorperson Mureed Abbas and his friend Khizar Hayat, nearly seven years after the killings. The court also issued permanent arrest warrants for the absconding co-accused Adil Zaman, Atif's brother.
According to the prosecution, Adil Zaman fled after the Supreme Court rejected his bail petition, and the trial court had already declared him a proclaimed offender. The sentencing comes after a prolonged legal process that began with the double murder on July 9, 2019.
Details of the Crime
On July 9, 2019, Abbas and Hayat were gunned down in Defence Housing Authority Phase VI Bukhari Commercial Area, under the jurisdiction of Darakshan Police Station. The motive was a money dispute between Abbas and Atif. At around 8pm, Abbas told his wife Sidra Abbas that Atif had called him to collect Rs5 million of the debt he owed. Abbas then left for Atif's office.
Sidra received a call at 8:35pm from the wife of another friend, Umar Rehan, informing her that Atif had opened fire on Abbas. Sidra rushed to the office with her father and found Abbas covered in blood. She took him to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in an ambulance, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. Meanwhile, she learned that Atif had also killed Hayat outside the building.
Evidence and Court Proceedings
CCTV footage showed Atif, dressed in a T-shirt and pants with a P-Cap, entering the building with his brother Adil, who was holding a weapon. They attempted to use the elevator but took the stairs when it was not working. Atif returned downstairs shortly after, accompanied by Adil. The footage also captured Sidra stepping off the elevator with men carrying the injured Abbas, as police arrived.
Lawyer Jibran Nasir, representing the family, posted on X: "Alhamdulillah, after a 7-year trial before the learned ADJ-IV Khi South, accused Atif has been sentenced to death on both counts of murder for the killings of Hayat & Abbas. Also given a 7-year sentence in the illegal arms case for the murder weapon."
Legal Framework and Family Response
The murder case was registered under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code on behalf of Abbas's wife, Sidra Abbas alias Zara Abbas. Another case was registered against Atif under Section 325 (attempt to suicide) on behalf of the state. Police reported that panic ensued after the shooting, with people hurrying to exit the building. Atif and his brother had fled the scene by the time police arrived.
The verdict brings a measure of closure to the family after seven years of legal proceedings, though the search for the absconding co-accused continues.
