Man ordered to pay diyat equivalent to 30,630 grams of silver over death due to firing at wedding event

A local court in Karachi has ordered a man to pay diyat equivalent to 30,630 grams of silver after convicting him for firing at a Mehndi event that killed a teenage boy in the Chakiwara area.

Additional Sessions Judge South Irshad Hussain found the accused, Muhammad Hasnain alias Babul, guilty of causing death (qatl-bis-sabab) and directed him to pay compensation to the victim’s family. The court also ordered that the convict be sent to prison and remain incarcerated until the diyat is paid.

According to the prosecution, the accused had opened fire with an illegal weapon during a wedding-related event within the limits of Chakiwara police station in 2023, resulting in the death of 14-year-old Rahid.

While the case was initially registered under murder charges, the court ruled that evidence and witness statements did not establish intent to kill. It therefore convicted the accused of causing death without intent and imposed the diyat penalty.

In a separate count, the court also convicted the accused for possession of an illegal 30 bore pistol, sentencing him to three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs50,000.