Court Gives Double Death Sentence to Killer of Famous News Anchor

A Karachi anti-terrorism court has sentenced the main accused in the high-profile murder case of TV anchor Mureed Abbas and his business partner Khizer Hayat to two counts of the death penalty, bringing an end to a legal battle that lasted seven years.

The Special Anti-Terrorism Court, operating from the Judicial Complex inside Central Jail Karachi, found Atif Zaman guilty of murdering both victims. In addition to the double death sentence, the court imposed a Rs. 1 million fine, directing that the amount be paid to the legal heirs of the deceased.

The court also issued permanent arrest warrants for Atif’s brother and co-accused, Adil Zaman, who remains a proclaimed offender. Adil absconded after the Supreme Court dismissed his bail plea, and the trial court had earlier declared him a fugitive.

The case dates back to July 9, 2019, when Bol News anchor Mureed Abbas and his friend and business partner Khizer Hayat were shot in Karachi’s Khayaban-e-Bukhari area in Defense following a dispute over a business investment.

Abbas died at the scene after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen, while Hayat, who was shot twice, succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital.

Police arrested Atif Zaman shortly after the incident after raiding his residence, where they found him with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest in an apparent suicide attempt.

Authorities registered separate cases for the double murder and the attempted suicide while forensic evidence was collected from the crime scene.

The prosecution argued that the killings stemmed from a financial dispute between the victims and the accused, who were business associates.

After examining witness testimonies and documentary evidence over several years, the court convicted Atif Zaman and ordered him to compensate the victims’ families in addition to the capital punishment.