The sterile air of PIMS was replaced by the bustling energy of the Khan household, tinged with relief and lingering anxiety. Haroon's discharge was a quiet affair, overshadowed by the looming courtroom battle. Junior Officer Rafique and Inspector Ahmed waited patiently in the driveway, their expressions a mix of professional respect and genuine concern. The bandage under Haroon's crisp uniform shirt was a stark reminder, the stiffness in his left shoulder a constant protest.
**Scene 1: Homecoming Under Scrutiny – The Media Gauntlet**
As Haroon, leaning slightly on Maryam for support, stepped out of the hospital entrance, they were instantly engulfed. Camera flashes erupted like miniature lightning storms. Microphones jabbed forward, voices overlapping in a cacophony:
**Reporter 1:** "SSP Khan! Your injury – how serious is it? Will it impact the case?"
**Reporter 2:** "Why the delay presenting Jamal Khoso? Is the evidence weak?"
**Reporter 3 (shoving a mic towards Maryam):** "Begum Sahiba! How are you coping? Are you afraid for your husband's safety now?"
**Reporter 4 (spotting Abbu helping Rimsha into the car):** "Sahib! Your son-in-law was nearly killed! Do you question his dedication?"
Maryam flinched, tightening her grip on Haroon's good arm. Abbu's face hardened, shielding Rimsha. Haroon stopped, drawing himself up to his full height despite the pain. He raised his right hand, palm out. The clamor subsided slightly, replaced by the whirring of cameras.
**Haroon (Voice calm, resonant, cutting through the noise):** "My injury is healing, by the grace of Allah and the skill of the doctors at PIMS. It was sustained in the line of duty, apprehending a dangerous fugitive accused of a heinous crime. It will *not* impede our pursuit of justice for Sadia Khalil." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the reporters, his eyes steely. "The delay in presenting Jamal Khoso is not due to weak evidence. It is due to *strong* procedure. We are ensuring every piece of forensic evidence – the DNA match, the fingerprints recovered from the victim's home and the F-10 hideout – is meticulously documented and presented flawlessly to the Honorable Court. We owe that diligence to Sadia, to her family, and to the law." He turned slightly, his voice softening but losing none of its authority. "My family... bears the unseen burden of this duty. Their strength is my shield. Their prayers, my medicine. I ask you to respect their privacy and their grief for a young life lost. The focus must remain on securing justice, not on our personal ordeal. Jamal Khoso will face the court. The evidence will speak. Justice *will* be served. That is my only statement."
He gave a curt nod, turned, and with Maryam and his officers forming a protective cordon, moved towards the waiting car. The questions continued, but they lacked their earlier frenzy. Haroon's calm authority and clear focus on the victim had momentarily silenced the sensationalism.
**Scene 2: The Crucible of Truth – Courtroom Confession**
Two days later, after a tense weekend where Islamabad held its breath, Courtroom No. 4 felt like the center of the universe. The air crackled. Jamal Khoso, thinner, paler, shackled, sat in the prisoner's dock, eyes darting like a trapped animal. The Khalil family sat in the front row, Azam holding Faiza's trembling hand, their faces etched with a desperate hope. The Public Prosecutor (PP) stood like a pillar of righteous fury.
The presentation was clinical, devastating:
1. **Forensic Officer:** Detailed the conclusive DNA match linking Jamal Khoso to the biological evidence from Sadia Khalil. Explained the fingerprint matches – both from the exterior door handle of Sadia's home and interior surfaces of the F-10 hideout.
2. **Crime Scene Reconstruction:** Using the timeline from Sadia's text to Daniya ("Asif uncle acting weird"), cell tower pings placing Khoso near Sadia's home, and Siddiqui's revised statement (admitting he saw Khoso fleeing and panicked), the PP painted a picture: Khoso lying in wait, Sadia arriving home, the attack, the struggle (fibers under her nails matched Khoso's jacket), the murder, the flight, Khoso forcing/threatening Siddiqui into silence initially.
3. **Ballistics:** Matched the shell casings from the F-10 shootout to the weapon found with Khoso's guard – linking him definitively to the armed resistance against lawful arrest.
The evidence was a mountain, crushing and irrefutable. The Defense Counsel (DC) offered weak denials, trying to suggest contamination or conspiracy, but his arguments crumbled against the scientific and testimonial avalanche.
**Judge (fixing Khoso with a gaze like granite):** "Accused, Jamal s/o Akbar Khoso. The evidence against you is overwhelming and conclusive. You stand accused of the premeditated rape and brutal murder of a child, Sadia Khalil, and of engaging in armed combat against law enforcement officers attempting your lawful arrest. Before I pass sentence, do you have anything to say? Any reason why the sentence of this court should not be passed upon you?"
A heavy silence fell. Khoso stared at the floor, his body trembling. Then, in a voice choked with defeat, devoid of remorse, only the terror of consequence, he spoke:
**Khoso:** "Haan... maine kiya." *(Yes... I did it.)*
A collective gasp, then a low murmur rippled through the court. Faiza Khalil let out a soft, wounded cry, burying her face in Azam's shoulder. Azam closed his eyes, tears streaming silently down his face. Relief and profound sorrow warred in their posture.
**Scene 3: The Gavel Falls – "Hanged By the Neck Till Death"**
The Judge's expression remained stern, unmoved by the confession, only confirmed in his duty. He shuffled the final papers.
**Judge:** "Jamal s/o Akbar Khoso. You have been found guilty, based on irrefutable evidence and your own admission, of the following offences under the Pakistan Penal Code and the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997:
* Section 302: Qatl-e-Amd (Intentional Murder) of Sadia Khalil.
* Section 376: Zina-bil-Jabr (Rape).
* Section 7 and Section 11-F of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997: For committing acts of terrorism by causing terror in the community through a heinous, brutal crime, and for engaging in armed resistance against law enforcement.
The brutality of the crime, the vulnerability of the child victim, and your subsequent armed defiance of the state leave no room for leniency. Such acts strike at the very heart of society and demand the most severe punishment permitted by law."
The Judge took a deep breath, the courtroom utterly still.
**Judge:** "Therefore, it is the sentence of this Court that you, Jamal s/o Akbar Khoso, shall be:
* **Sentenced to Death** for the offence under Section 302 PPC (Qatl-e-Amd).
* **Sentenced to Death** for the offence under Section 376 PPC (Zina-bil-Jabr).
* **Sentenced to Imprisonment for Life** for offences under Sections 7 and 11-F of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
The sentences of death shall be executed by **Hanging by the Neck till you are dead**, subject to confirmation by the Honorable High Court. May Allah have mercy on your soul. Take the convict down."
The gavel struck once, a sharp, final sound that echoed in the stunned silence. Khoso's legs buckled; he was held upright by bailiffs as they led him away, his face ashen, the reality of his fate crashing down. The Khalil family wept openly, a mixture of anguish and grim relief. The media scrambled.
**Scene 4: After the Storm – A Different Kind of Quiet**
Haroon stood with his team outside the courthouse. The media surged towards him, but he raised his bandaged arm slightly, a gesture requesting space. He looked exhausted, the weight of the case, his injury, and the emotional toll visible. But in his eyes, there was a hard-won certainty.
**Haroon (to the nearest camera, voice steady but weary):** "Today, the law has spoken. Justice, though it cannot restore a stolen life, has marked the path for the perpetrator. Our thoughts, first and foremost, remain with the Khalil family. May they find some measure of peace. The Islamabad Police did its duty. The evidence was presented. The conviction is sound. The process now moves to higher judicial review. No further comments."
He turned, flanked by Ahmed and Rafique, and walked towards his car. The shouts continued, but they felt distant now. The fortress of the law had held, delivering its harshest verdict. Yet, walking away, Haroon felt no victory, only the profound weariness of confronting absolute evil and the enduring scars – on his shoulder, on the Khalil family, and on the soul of the city. He needed to go home. He needed Maryam. He needed to hold Ubaid and be reminded that light, however tested, still endured. The chapter of Sadia Khalil's case was legally closed, but its echoes would linger, a somber reminder of the cost of justice and the darkness it exists to dispel.