Women exercising lawful rights should not be subjected to violence with impunity: SC
While rejecting an appeal by a convict who murdered his former wife just two days after she obtained a judicial decree dissolving their marriage, the Supreme Court on Saturday ruled that women who exercise their lawful rights should not be subjected to violence with impunity. “This court, being mindful of the constitutional imperative to protect the life and dignity of women and to ensure that…
The Supreme Court has ruled that women who lawfully exercise their rights should not face violence without consequence. In a case involving the murder of a woman who had recently obtained a divorce decree, the court rejected an appeal from the convicted murderer. The assailant, Wasim Abbas, entered his ex-wife's home on Oct 11, 2020, armed with a pistol and two accomplices.
He shot Shehnaz Bibi multiple times, killing her at the scene. The court emphasized the constitutional duty to protect women's lives and dignity, as outlined in Articles 9, 14 and 25. The case drew on the 2019 Shazia Perveen case to underscore that a woman seeking a legal divorce through proper channels is exercising a fundamental right.
Any violence against her for doing so is a direct affront to the constitution and must be punished severely. The court found the testimony of the deceased's mother and sister to be trustworthy and noted the lack of reasonable doubt. Corroborating evidence included a recovered firearm and eyewitness accounts. The bench rejected any possibility of leniency, stating the murder was "exceptionally brutal, calculated, premeditated and cold-blooded." The court ruled that capital punishment was necessary to uphold justice and the rule of law.
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