Death sentences upheld in shrine killings case

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday upheld the death sentences of four convicts involved in the killing of 20 people in Sargodha, dismissing their appeals against the trial court's verdict.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Tariq Mahmood Bajwa heard the appeals filed by convicts Abdul Waheed, Zafar Ali, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Kashif.

According to the prosecution, the convicts were allegedly involved in a planned attack aimed at taking control of the custodianship of a shrine.

It was stated that in 2017, they allegedly intoxicated devotees with ethanol before torturing and killing them in a brutal incident that left 20 people dead.

Deputy Prosecutor Raheela Shahid informed the court that the prosecution had fully established its case through evidence and witness statements, and that the convicts were lawfully awarded the death penalty by the trial court.