Acquitted after 21 years, Mazhar Farooq’s family awaits his release

KASUR: Mazhar Farooq’s mother had thought that she won’t live to see her son free and out of jail. But she did, 21 years after he was accused for murder.

“I had forgotten what happiness was. But now I have finally found happiness again,” she said speaking to Geo News at her residence in Kasur, where family and friends have begun gathering to welcome Mazhar.

The Supreme Court on Friday declared Mazhar innocent stating that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence in a murder case dating back to 1992. In its remarks, the three-member SC bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, said that a pistol presented as evidence in the case did not belong to Mazhar and ordered his release.

“He was only 25 when he was put in prison. Every time he met me he would say, “Do something, get me out of here”,” his mother said.

A trial court had sentenced Mazhar Farooq to death for a 1992 murder in Kasur. The High Court had also maintained the death sentence.

They say justice delayed is justice denied. In Mazhar’s case he spent the prime of his life behind bars, hoping for miracle.

When the case began, Mazhar owned 200 acres of land. His land was sold as the family followed the case in different courts over the past 24 years.

A much older Mazhar now suffers from respiratory and chest infections which he contracted during his time in jail. He expected to be released in the next two days from the Kot Lakhpat Jail.

An old picture of Mazhar Farooq

Not the first case

In a similar case, the Supreme Court in October, acquitted Mazhar Hussain after 19 years in jail for lack of evidence. Unfortunately, Mazhar died in 2014, two years before the SC verdict announced him innocent.

The court observed that severe punishment should be awarded to the person who recorded false testimony in the case.

Mazhar, a resident of Lahore, was convicted by a Sessions Court and later the High Court, for murdering Muhammad Ismail in 1997.

His family, speaking at Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada kay Sath show said that they had only found out about the SC verdict when they watched television.