The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday acquitted a death-row prisoner, Shahzad Ahmed, in a murder case, setting aside the sessions court's verdict after finding serious weaknesses in the prosecution's evidence. A two-member bench comprising Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Sardar Akbar Ali Dogar announced the verdict on Shahzad Ahmed's acquittal appeal.

Shahzad had been accused of murder and was sentenced to death by the trial court after completion of the trial. He subsequently challenged the conviction and death sentence before the Lahore High Court.

During the proceedings, the defence counsel argued that the prosecution had failed to establish the presence of its alleged eyewitnesses at the scene of the incident. He submitted that the statements of witnesses, along with the other evidence on record, did not reliably establish the prosecution's case.

The counsel maintained that the trial court had awarded the death penalty without sufficient and concrete evidence, while the prosecution had failed to prove the charge against Shahzad beyond reasonable doubt. However, state counsel Raahat Majeed opposed the acquittal appeal, arguing that the evidence available on record pointed towards the accused's guilt, and requested the court to uphold the death sentence.

After hearing arguments from both sides and examining the case record in detail, the court observed that the prosecution had failed to establish the alleged eyewitnesses' presence at the crime scene through reliable evidence. Consequently, the court set aside the sessions court's death sentence and ordered Shahzad Ahmed's acquittal.