Shoaib Raja’s killer gets life sentence
PHOTO: FILE
A Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ikhlaq Raja was sentenced to life along with Rs200,000 fine for killing the nephew of former Punjab law minister Raja Basharat in a fight during the local bodies elections five years ago.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Malik Aijaz Asif pronounced the decision on Wednesday in a room packed with supporters of both the parties.
Meanwhile, the court acquitted six suspects, including Asad, Omar, Iftikhar, Adil, Mubashir, and another on lack of evidence.
The convict Raja Ikhlaq had killed the law minister’s nephew Shoaib Iqbal Raja after a fight during local bodies’ election campaign. Saddar police had booked the suspects and registered a first information report (FIR) against them under sections of terrorism. Later, a high court had removed the terrorism-related section from the FIR and referred the case to a sessions court.
The case was under adjudication for the past five years. The convicted has been shifted to the Adyala jail.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2021.