The Sindh High Court has overturned the life sentence handed down to accused Obaid K2 in a 27-year-old case involving a deadly attack on Rangers personnel in Karachi’s Liaquatabad area.

During the hearing, the court reviewed Obaid K2’s appeal against his conviction. The defense counsel and the prosecutor presented their arguments before the bench.

The defense argued that the case had already been tried twice, including once in a military court, and that all other accused who were arrested from MQM’s Nine Zero headquarters had been released. The lawyer stated that Obaid K2 had been in custody since 2015 but was formally implicated in this case only in 2021.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred in 1998 when Rangers personnel were delivering food to colleagues stationed at a checkpoint. The accused allegedly ambushed the officers in Liaquatabad, opening fire on them. The attack resulted in the martyrdom of soldier Dildar Hussain and injuries to Havaldar Mumtaz Ali.

The prosecution maintained that the accused had confessed to the crime and that the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) had handed down the sentence in accordance with the law in 2024. The prosecutor argued that the conviction should be upheld as the accused did not deserve acquittal.

However, after reviewing the case record and arguments, the Sindh High Court accepted the appeal, declaring the life sentence null and void.

The ruling effectively ends one of Karachi’s long-running and controversial terrorism-related cases dating back to the late 1990s. The case had remained under judicial scrutiny for years due to multiple trials and shifting political contexts.

Legal experts noted that the verdict underscores the court’s emphasis on procedural fairness, particularly in cases that have seen prolonged delays and overlapping jurisdictions between civil and military courts.

For Karachi, where several such legacy cases remain unresolved, the decision is likely to revive debate over the credibility of old confessions and the use of anti-terrorism laws during past crackdowns.