ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has reduced the life sentence of Afshan Sehar, a woman convicted of murdering her husband, converting her punishment to 14 years in prison.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Hashim Kakar heard the case and reviewed the circumstances surrounding the conviction. The ruling comes after the court considered arguments presented by both the defense and prosecution.

During the hearing, defense counsel Prince Rehan argued that the deceased husband was unemployed and had subjected Afshan Sehar to repeated domestic violence. According to the defense, he frequently pressured her to obtain money from her parents, while her mother regularly provided financial assistance to support the family.

The lawyer told the court that Afshan Sehar is the mother of four children. He said the incident occurred after her mother refused to provide money on one occasion, following which the husband allegedly assaulted her.

The prosecution maintained that Afshan Sehar struck her husband on the head, causing injuries that led to his death.

During the proceedings, Justice Hashim Kakar remarked that cases involving husbands killing their wives are more common, while this case involved a wife convicted of killing her husband. The court also questioned whether the accused had admitted to the crime in her statement.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim noted that two of Afshan Sehar’s brothers had also been named in the case but were later acquitted. Justice Kakar observed that, if the court relied solely on the prosecution’s evidence, all three accused could potentially have been acquitted.

The defense further argued that Afshan Sehar reacted in circumstances where she felt her dignity and safety were under threat. The court was also informed that she had been imprisoned since 2016 and had already served nearly a decade behind bars.

After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court ordered that Afshan Sehar’s life sentence be reduced to 14 years of imprisonment.

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