Court acquits SC judge’s daughter in Islamabad hit-and-run case

ISLAMABAD: A local court on Tuesday acquitted Shanzay Malik, the daughter of the Supreme Court judge, in a high-profile hit-and-run case, in which two persons were killed.

Judicial Magistrate Adnan Yousuf announced the verdict of the acquittal plea filed by the daughter of Supreme Court judge Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan.

The case registered at Khanna police station accused Shanzay Malik of fatally hitting two waiters of Savor Foods on Islamabad Expressway at midnight in 2022.

As per the details available in the judicial record, on June 8, Shakeel Tanoli and Hasnain Ali were going home at midnight when they were hit by an SUV allegedly driven by a woman, the daughter of the Lahore High Court judge mentioned in the FIR.

The court had reserved its decision on February 24 after hearing arguments from both sides.

The accused’s lawyer, Advocate Siddique Awan, told the court that the case was registered 11 days after the accident, and the police could not give any explanation for the delay.

Shanzay’s counsel argued that police could not produce any substantial evidence as the entire story of the prosecution was based on secondary facts. The photos submitted in the court did not identify his client, the lawyer contended.

On the other hand, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Tufail Shahzad Advocate, argued that video evidence clearly identified the accused, Shanzay Malik and that a forensic report confirmed a woman was driving the vehicle.

The plaintiff, Rafaqat Ali, also alleged he faced threats and that two witnesses had identified Shanzay Malik, and they had recorded their statements which were on record.

Legal proceedings saw the deletion of Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code (causing death by rash or negligent driving), which is a non-bailable offence, and replacing it with Section 320 (causing death without intent), a bailable offence.