The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) has reduced the life sentence of a convicted woman to 14 years for killing her husband.
The SCP has lessened the life sentence of a woman convicted of killing her husband, taking into account years of alleged domestic abuse and the circumstances surrounding the case.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Hashim Kakar heard the appeal of Afshan Sahar, who was convicted of murdering her husband and has been in prison since 2016.
During the hearing, her lawyer argued that the deceased husband was unemployed and had subjected his wife, a mother of four, to repeated physical violence.
The court was told that he frequently pressured her to seek financial support from her parents to support the household.
According to the defence, tensions escalated on the day of the incident when Afshan Sahar was unable to obtain money from her family.
Her husband allegedly assaulted her, and during the confrontation, she struck him on the head. The injury later proved fatal.
Prosecutors told the court that the blow caused the husband’s death, leading to her conviction and life sentence.
Justice Hashim Kakar noted the unusual nature of the case, observing that domestic violence cases more commonly involve husbands accused of killing their wives.
He also remarked that if the court had relied solely on the prosecution’s evidence, all of the accused named in the case could potentially have been acquitted.
During the proceedings, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim pointed out that two of the woman’s brothers had also been charged in the case but were later acquitted.
The defence maintained that Afshan Sahar had acted in response to violence and threats to her safety. The court also considered the fact that she had already spent around ten years in prison.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Supreme Court reduced her sentence from life imprisonment to 14 years.
The ruling highlights the court’s consideration of domestic violence and economic hardship as factors in assessing criminal responsibility and sentencing.
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