Balochistan High Court Upholds Double Death Sentence in 9-Year-Old Boy’s Kidnapping and Murder Case

QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court has dismissed the appeal of a man convicted in the kidnapping and murder of a nine-year-old boy, upholding the double death sentence awarded by an anti-terrorism court.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Shaukat Ali Rakhshani and Justice Muhammad Amir Nawaz Rana announced the reserved verdict in open court, affirming the 2024 judgment of the Anti-Terrorism Court in Pishin and answering the murder reference in the affirmative.

The case relates to the abduction and killing of nine-year-old Fareed Ahmed, son of Paideen. The appellant, Munir Ahmed, son of Habibullah and a resident of Qila Wiala, Brashore, had challenged his conviction and sentence before the high court.

In its detailed judgment, the court held that the prosecution had established the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt. It cited the convict’s judicial confession, the recovery of the victim’s body, and forensic and cyber evidence as forming a complete and reliable chain of evidence.

The bench also rejected all objections raised by the defense regarding the judicial confession, cyber evidence, and other aspects of the case, ruling that the trial court’s findings contained no legal or factual defects.

The high court concluded that there were no grounds to reduce the sentence and upheld the two death penalties imposed by the trial court.

The complainant in the case was represented before the court by Supreme Court advocates Meerwais Batezai and Ali Ahmed Kakar.