ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has set aside the conviction of a man sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a young girl, citing serious procedural flaws, unreliable witness accounts, and mishandling of forensic evidence.

In a detailed 10-page judgement authored by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, the court acquitted Shalim Ghauri, who was sentenced by an Additional Sessions Judge to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000. The sentence also included an additional six-month imprisonment in case of non-payment.

The IHC observed that the prosecution failed to meet the legal standards required in cases involving severe punishments.

`Discrepancies regarding the safe custody and timely transfer of forensic evidence clearly affect the credibility of the prosecution,` the judgement stated, adding that preservation of forensic material is a `basic requirement` in criminal cases where the death penalty or life imprisonment is a possibility.