A Karachi sessions court has sentenced Atif Zaman to death on two counts in the high profile Mureed Abbas murder case, bringing an important development in a case that has drawn national attention since 2019.
The verdict was announced by an additional district and sessions court, which found Atif Zaman guilty of murdering anchorperson Mureed Abbas and his friend Khizer Hayat. The tragic incident occurred on July 9, 2019, in Karachi’s Khayaban e Bukhari area, where both victims were shot and killed.
Besides the death sentence, the court directed the convict to pay Rs500,000 in compensation to the legal heirs of each victim. The compensation aims to provide financial relief to the affected families following the court’s judgment.
The court also took action against Adil Zaman, the co accused and brother of Atif Zaman. Since Adil failed to appear before the court, the judge issued perpetual arrest warrants, noting that he had already been declared a proclaimed offender during the trial proceedings.
In a separate but related matter, Atif Zaman was also convicted for illegal possession of weapons. The court sentenced him to seven years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs50,000 under the relevant laws governing illegal firearms.
The case was initially heard by an Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) after the arrests in 2019. However, in October 2019, the ATC ruled that the charges did not fall under its jurisdiction and transferred the matter to a sessions court for further proceedings.
The verdict marks a significant milestone in the long running legal process surrounding the Mureed Abbas murder case. The decision also reinforces the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring accountability in high profile criminal cases while providing justice to the victims and their families.
