Sindh High Court Sets Aside Life Imprisonment Sentence in MQM-L Activist Murder Case

The Sindh High Court on Tuesday acquitted Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) activist Syed Mohammad Asif Raees of murdering union council vice chairman Rafa-e-Aam Mohammad Rashid in 2017. The prosecution failed to prove charges against Raees, and the court found inconsistencies in the eyewitness testimony and evidence collected by the police.

Key Takeaways:

• The Sindh High Court set aside the life imprisonment sentence of Syed Mohammad Asif Raees in the murder case of union council vice chairman Rafa-e-Aam Mohammad Rashid.
• The court observed that the prosecution failed to prove the case against Raees, and the identification parade was not conducted in accordance with the law.
• The eyewitnesses' testimony was disregarded by the court, as they were either not present at the time of the incident or could not correctly identify Raees.
• The prosecution failed to prove the recovery of the crime weapon from Raees and its matching with the empties found at the scene.
• The court ordered the release of Raees, subject to the condition that he is not required in other cases.
• The MQM's Rabita Committee (Central) leader Kehkashan Baji and MQM-London chief were implicated in the case, but their role was not explored by the court.
• The appellant's counsel contended that Raees was illegally detained by the Rangers and falsely implicated in the murder case.

Statistics:

• June 30, 2017: The date of the murder of union council vice chairman Rafa-e-Aam Mohammad Rashid.
• Life imprisonment sentence: The sentence imposed by the anti-terrorism court on Syed Mohammad Asif Raees, which was later set aside by the Sindh High Court.

Sources:

• Alex Rodriguez, "Sindh High Court sets aside MQM-L activist sentence in murder case", Dawn (no date)
• PTI, "Sindh High Court acquits MQM-L activist in murder case", Geo News (no date)