Shahnawaz Amir appeals the death penalty in the IHC in the Sarah Inam murder case.

In Islamabad on Wednesday, Shahnawaz Amir, the convicted individual in the Sarah Inam murder case, has taken his case to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to challenge the death penalty issued by the district and session court. On December 14, the Islamabad court condemned Shahnawaz to death and imposed a fine of Rs1 million, while his co-accused, his mother Samina Shah, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

The victim, Sarah, a 37-year-old economist, allegedly met her demise through an attack with dumbbells by her husband Shahnawaz, the son of journalist Ayaz Amir, in Islamabad’s Chak Shahzad area on September 23, 2022.

The legal proceedings of the case extended over a year, involving three different judges, namely Additional Sessions Judge Islamabad Muhammad Atta Rabbani and Azam Khan. Advocate Nisar Asghar, representing the convict, filed a petition in the IHC seeking the annulment of the session court's decision and Shahnawaz Amir's acquittal from the murder case.

Shahnawaz, in his petition, contested the trial court's verdict, asserting that it is inconsistent with both legal principles and factual circumstances. The petition further claimed that the prosecution had concocted a narrative for the charges and failed to present substantial evidence. The court is implored to exonerate Shahnawaz Amir based on these grounds.

Who was Sarah Inam?

Sarah Inam, aged 37, was a Canadian citizen and accomplished economist, having worked with Deloitte and USAID during various phases of her professional journey. Tragically, she was married to Shahnawaz for only three months before her untimely death. With a master's degree from the University of Waterloo, she was actively engaged in the government sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as confirmed by her friends and family. Sarah is mourned by her father, mother, and two older brothers.