Man awarded death sentence for 2019 killing of anchorperson Mureed Abbas in Karachi

A Karachi court has sentenced Atif Zaman to death on two counts for the 2019 murders of TV anchor Mureed Abbas and his friend Khizer Hayat. The victims were business partners of the accused and his brother, Adil Zaman, who was also implicated in the killings. The murders occurred on July 9, 2019, in the Khayaban-i-Bukhari area.

Police arrested Atif and Adil Zaman following the incident. However, Adil Zaman managed to escape after his bail was canceled by the Supreme Court's Karachi registry, and he has since been declared an absconder. The motive for the killings was initially described as a "personal dispute."

Abbas, who was a Bol News anchorperson, was shot and killed, while Hayat sustained two bullet wounds. Hayat was taken to a private hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. The case, initially heard by an anti-terrorism court, was transferred to a sessions court in October 2019. The anti-terrorism court ruled that the offense did not fall within its jurisdiction.

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Adil had been declared an absconder in the case after escaping following the cancellation of his bail by the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry.