Court hands down life sentence to target killer

Another accused acquitted due to lack of evidence

KARACHI:

A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) has sentenced an alleged target killer of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to two counts of life imprisonment on the charge of murder under provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act while another suspect was acquitted for lack of evidence.

A special court in the anti-terrorism complex of Karachi Central Jail has ruled in the murder case of citizen Anis. The prosecution succeeded in proving charges against Afsar Hussain Rizvi. The court, on conviction of murder, sentenced Rizvi, an alleged target killer of MQM, to life imprisonment on two counts under the ATA provisions. Another accused Shakeel alias Banarasi was acquitted due to lack of evidence.

Rangers prosecutor Rana Khalid argued that the accused had shot and killed Anis in 2012. A case of murder was registered against the accused at Nabi Bakhsh police station. Hussain was arrested by Rangers. The accused is also involved in other cases of murder.

Shakeel Banarsi's lawyer Imran Mayo Advocate had argued that there was no evidence against his client and the allegations were baseless.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2022.