Five awarded double life sentences
Anti-Terrorism Court judge Hamid Hussain on Saturday awarded a double life sentence to five including two would-be suicide bombers.
The judge also ordered the confiscation of all movable and immovable property of the convicts. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs0.1 million each on five terrorists, including two suicide bombers after they were found guilty of hatching a plan to carry out suicide bombings before they were intercepted by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD).
After conviction, the convicts were transported to Adiala Jail from the courtroom in an armoured vehicle under strict security.
The would-be suicide bombers, Shar Hassan and Adnan, and their three accomplices were arrested by the CTD on September 17, 2018, during an operation on GT Road near Taxila.
They had travelled from Peshawar to Rawalpindi with an explosive-laden truck to carry out a terrorist attack in the twin cities.
Shar Hassan and Adnan, the two suicide bombers, had volunteered for the suicide attack and both were carrying explosive vests with their body.
Once they were in custody, the explosive jackets were seized and the explosives were defused by the bomb disposal squad.
Heavy weapons, ammunition, bullets of various weapons, explosive jackets, and heavy ammunition were also recovered from their possession.
Shar Hasan, Lal Badini, Adnan and Malik Jan were brought to the court in an armoured vehicle.
Their accomplice, Malik Jan, was also sentenced to five years in prison and slapped with a fine of Rs0.1 million.
During the interrogation, the suspects said they got military training in a camp run by the banned Taliban and were planning to strike sensitive installations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The suspects had been handed over to a joint investigation team in Rawalpindi for further interrogation after the registration of a case against them.
Sher Hussian, Lal Din, Adnan, Malik Jan and Rizwan Ullah were found guilty of possessing illegal explosive material. A case was registered against them in September 2018 with Counter Terrorism Department, Rawalpindi.
ATC Judge Hamid Hussain pronounced the verdict after recording evidence from the witnesses and final arguments from both sides. The judge awarded twice life imprisonment to the convicts under section 4 of the Explosive Act,1908 and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.
The court also awarded 14 years of rigorous imprisonment to both convicts under section 5 of the Explosive Substance Act,1908, while their properties would be stand fortified to the government under 5-A of the Explosive Substance Act-1908.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2022.