The Supreme Court issued a detailed verdict in the high-profile Tipu Truckanwala murder case, bringing a long legal battle closer to its conclusion. The court upheld the life imprisonment of the main accused, Khurram Ijaz, and dismissed all petitions filed against the earlier judgment.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim released a detailed nine-page ruling. The court maintained the Lahore High Court’s decision, which had earlier converted Khurram Ijaz’s death sentence into life imprisonment.

In a major development, the Supreme Court removed all terrorism charges against Khurram Ijaz. The judges made it clear that the killing resulted from personal enmity and did not constitute an act of terrorism. The court observed that committing a murder in a public place does not automatically classify it as terrorism.

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The appeal challenging the acquittal of co-accused Syed Ahsan Shah was also dismissed. The court noted that Ahsan Shah’s name was not mentioned in the FIR and ruled that the benefit of doubt was sufficient to justify his acquittal.

The verdict further explained that the prosecution failed to establish a clear and convincing motive behind the murder. Under the law, a death sentence cannot be awarded unless the motive is properly proven. As a result, the life sentence remained in place instead of capital punishment.

What happened on the day of the murder?

The incident took place on January 20, 2010, in the parking area of Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore. Arif Ameer, widely known as Tipu Truckanwala, had just arrived from Dubai on PIA Flight PK-204.

He was received by Amir Mughal, Sabz Ali, and Ahsan Ullah Jalali. At around 7:35 p.m., as Tipu exited the lounge and moved toward a vehicle, Khurram Ijaz allegedly opened fire, injuring him with multiple gunshots.

During the chaos, Tipu’s companions took cover. Ahsan Ullah Jalali managed to overpower Khurram Ijaz and snatch the pistol from him. However, an unidentified co-accused escaped from the scene. Tipu was rushed to Mayo Hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.

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Khurram Ijaz claimed that Tipu was supporting the killers of his brother, suggesting that the attack stemmed from a personal rivalry.

In May 2011, an anti-terrorism court sentenced Khurram Ijaz to death on two counts. Years later, in October 2019, the Lahore High Court converted his death sentence into life imprisonment and acquitted Ahsan Shah, a decision that the Supreme Court has now upheld.