Judgment announced: Man awarded life term in kidnapping for ransom case

Accused Abdul Khaliq and his accomplices had kidnapped Asghar in 2013

DERA GHAZI KHAN: An Anti-Terrorism Court has awarded life imprisonment to a man and acquitted another in a kidnapping for ransom case in Dera Ghazi Khan on Friday. The judgment was announced by ATC Judge Wajahat Hussain Khan Langah.

The prosecution told the court that accused Abdul Khaliq, Ghulam Mustafa and four others kidnapped a shopkeeper Muhammad Asghar from the precincts of Harrand police station on October 27, 2013.

They demanded Rs1.7 million ransom for his release. After getting the said amount, the accused released the abductee. However, after a few days, the police arrested Abdul Khaliq and Ghulam Mustafa while the rest were declared proclaimed offenders. The accused were produced before the court.

After hearing the arguments, the ATC judge ordered that accused Abdul Khaliq was found guilty of the offence and awarded Life term to him.

The court also ordered confiscation of his property. Meanwhile, the ATC acquitted Ghulam Mustafa for lack of evidence.

Earlier on October 15, a former district superintendent of police was awarded life imprisonment while his son sentenced to death for murdering a boy in Dera Ghazi Khan over a petty dispute.

The judgment was announced by Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Fawwad Arif.

According to the prosecution, 15-year-old Usman Chandio was playing cricket with his friends near the former DSP Abdul Karim’s house.

During the match, the ball went into the policeman’s house. When Usman asked the DSP’s son Muhammad Ali to return the ball, Abdul Karim and Ali got enraged and opened fire at him, killing the boy on the spot.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2016.