LHC upholds conviction of Naval War College attacker

ATC awarded him life imprisonment three times, and fine of Rs62,5000 for facilitating suicide attack

LAHORE: A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday upheld a conviction of the attacker of the Naval War College Lahore.

An anti-terrorism court had awarded him life imprisonment three times, and a fine of Rs62,5000 for facilitating a suicide attack on March 04, 2008, which left three people dead and 15 injured.

The bench was holding proceedings on an appeal of Nadeem Hussain, the convict, for facilitating the suicide attacker.

Read: PAF inducts Chinese-built warplane

Hussain, in his appeal, submitted that the trial court awarded him imprisonment for life after associating him with a role of facilitating the suicide attackers. He said this order was based on insufficient witnesses and evidence against him. Further, he requested the court to acquit him after exonerating him from these charges.

Appearing before the court, deputy prosecutor general Khurram Khan submitted that the prosecution has solid proof against the convict that led the court to punish him.

Khan said he facilitated the attackers in reaching and attacking the college.

Read: New avenues: Gwadar port to be operational by mid-April

He added that Hussain's appeal should be dismissed for being baseless.

The police had registered an FIR against Hussain under Section 392, 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The ATC had awarded him a sentence on February 28, 2009. He had challenged the decision of the ATC before the LHC, which has been dismissed.