Kh. Muhammad Sharif, J.--This judgment will dispose of Criminal Appeal No, 1204 of 1999 filed by Mumtaz Hussain, appellant who was convicted under Section 302(b) PPC and sentenced to death with further direction to pay Rs, 1,00,000/-as compensation, in default six months RI by learned Sessions Judge, Jhang vide judgment dated 22.10.1999. Murder Reference No, 444 of 1999 for confirmation or otherwise of death sentence shall also be replied through this single judgment.
2. During pendency of the appeal, an application seeking permission to compound the offence was moved. A copy of the said petition alongwith documents was sent to Sessions Judge, Jhang for report as to genuineness or otherwise of the 'compromise. Report from the Sessions Judge has been received.
3. According to report, Muhammad Yousaf deceased was unmarried on the day of occurrence. He was survived by Ahmad Ali, father, Mst. Janat Bibi, mother, Azhar Iqbal, Zafar, Iqbal both brothers, Mst. Kaneez and Mst. Mumtaz Bibi, both sisters. All the legal heirs of the deceased have affected compromise with convict appellant after forgiving him in the name of Almighty Allah and also having waived their right of qisas and diyat without any pressure or compulsion from any quarter.
The convict had also transferred land measuring 8 Kanals and 18 Marais as badl-e-Sulah through Mutation No, 911 dated 8.4.2003. To prove the transfer of land by Mumtaz Hussain convict in favour of Zafar Iqbal, one of legal heir of the deceased, statement of Syed .Masud Hussain Zaidi, Tehsildar Chiniot was also recorded as CW. 9 by the learned Sessions Judge.
4. Concluding his report, the learned Sessions Judge has submitted that compromise is genuine, without any pressure or coercion rather with I own free will of legal heirs of the deceased Muhammad Yousaf. The compromise being genuine and the offence being compound-able with permission of the Court, Cr. Misc. No, 468/M of 2003 under Section 345 Cr.P.C. is allowed. Resultantly, appeal filed by Mumtaz Hussain, convict appellant is accepted, conviction and sentence recorded against him by the trial Court is set aside and the appellant is acquitted of the charge for the murder of Muhammad Yousaf, deceased. The appellant is in jail and he shall be released forthwith, if not required to be detained in any other case. The death sentence of Mumtaz Hussain, appellant is not confirmed and Murder Reference is replied in the negative.