PAKISTAN: FAMILY OF DEAD STUDENT PARDONS KILLERS

September 9, 2013: The family of a Pakistani student has decided to pardon two men convicted in his killing, their lawyer said.
The family filed an affidavit with the court pardoning the men accused of killing their son, Shahzeb Khan, lawyer Mehmood Alam Rizvi said.
Pakistani law has a maximum punishment of the death penalty, or life in prison for a murder. But, under Islamic laws victim families can strike an out-of-court deal with the murderers. In that case, the victim's families generally appear in court to testify that they have pardoned the murderer in the name of God.
These pardons often include the accused paying the victim's families money but in this case the lawyer said the victims' family did not accept any payment.
The court must now decide whether to accept the pardon, but judges generally follow the decision of the family.
The 2 men, Shahrukh Jatoi and Nawab Siraj Talpur, were convicted of killing the 20-year-old Khan on 25 December 2012 after the university student had an argument with one of Talpur's servants. (Sources: ABC News, 10/09/2013)