Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday overturned the death sentences handed over to the accused in Perween Rehman murder case by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). Perween Rehman, head of the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP), was gunned down near her office in Orangi Town on March 13, 2013. The accused Rahim Swati, Amjad Hussain, Ayaz Swati and Ahmed Hussain had challenged the ATC verdict in the Sindh High Court. After several hearings of the case, the SHC overturned the sentences awarded by the ATC. The SHC overturned the death sentence awarded to the accused and ordered to free them if they were not wanted in any other case.

The Karachi ATC, in December 2021, had awarded life imprisonment on two counts to four accused in the murder case of renowned rights activist Perween Rahman, who was shot dead in the metropolis in 2013. The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge had sentenced Abdul Raheem Swati, Ahmed Khan, Amjad Hussain Khan and Ayaz Swati to life imprisonment. All five of the accused were fined Rs200,000. The fifth accused, Imran Swati, was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined an additional Rs200,000.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP