Rescue 15 attack: LHC upholds death sentence of convicts

Both men confessed to their involvement during interrogation

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence of three men convicted of the 2009 suicide attack on the Police Emergency Rescue Service 15 building.

A division bench, comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan and Justice Chaudhry Shehram Sarwar, dismissed the appeals of Abid Akram, Sarfraz and Shabbir.  The defence counsel argued that the convicts were already in the custody of law enforcement agencies when the suicide attack took place on the police building.



He said an FIR of the incident was registered against unidentified suspects and the convicts were later implicated in the case.

The counsel argued that the prosecution failed to produce any direct evidence against the convicts. However, the trial court awarded the death sentence to each convict on 23 counts, he said. The lawyer asked the court to set aside the conviction and acquit them.

Opposing the appeals, a deputy public prosecutor argued that the convicts were the facilitators of the attack. He said Shahdara police had arrested them on Dec 3, 2010 and they had confessed to their involvement in the attack during interrogation.



The prosecutor further police also recovered weapons from the possession of the two. He said a trial court sentenced them to death in light of convincing evidence produced by the prosecution.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2017.