Sarah Inam murder case: Shahnawaz Amir challenges death penalty in IHC

• Shahnawaz Amir seeks acquittal in murder case.
• Requests IHC to nullify session court's death penalty.
• Says prosecution failed to produce concrete evidence.

ISLAMABAD: Shahnawaz Amir, the convict in the Sarah Inam murder case, on Wednesday, approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the district and session court's decision awarding him a death sentence for the crime. 

On December 14, an Islamabad court sentenced accused Shahnawaz to death and imposed a penalty of Rs1 million. Meanwhile, his mother Samina Shah, who was the co-accused in the case, was acquitted due to lack of evidence. 

Sarah, a 37-year-old economist, was allegedly murdered with dumbbells by her husband Shahnawaz, who is the son of journalist Ayaz Amir, in Islamabad’s Chak Shahzad area on September 23, 2022. 

The proceedings of the case lasted for more than a year and three different judges conducted the hearings. Additional Sessions Judge Islamabad Muhammad Atta Rabbani and Azam Khan also heard the murder case.

Advocate Nisar Asghar filed the petition in the IHC on behalf of the convict, seeking the nullification of the session court's verdict and acquittal from the murder case. 

In his petition, Shahnawaz said that he was sentenced to death while his mother Samina Shah was acquitted. 

"The trial court's decision to sentence Shahnawaz Amir is contrary to law and facts. The verdict issued by the trial court cannot stand in the eyes of the law," said the petition. 

"The prosecution had fabricated a story for the indictment and failed to produce concrete evidence," read the petition, adding that the court is requested to acquit Shahnawaz Amir. 

Who was Sarah Inam?

Sarah Inam, 37, was a Canadian national and a successful economist who worked with Deloitte and USAID at different points in her career. 

She was married to Shahnawaz for just three months before being murdered.

She had a master's degree from the University of Waterloo and was currently employed in the government sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as per friends and family.

Sarah is survived by her father, mother and two elder brothers.