Sialkot lynching case: LHC asked to change life term to death penalties

Punjab govt filed two appeals, one against the acquittal of 5 accused and the other to award death sentences to 6.

LAHORE: In the Sialkot lynching case, the Punjab government filed two appeals on Wednesday in the Lahore High Court (LHC), one against the acquittal of five persons and the other for changing the life sentences of six convicts to death penalty.

The appeals were filed by Additional Prosecutor General Abdul Samad, in which he contended that the convicts given life terms by the trial court were the key culprits in the case and hence, they should be awarded death sentences.

The appeal for death penalties was filed against convicts Muhammad Waris, Hasan Raza, Qaisar alias Mooda, Ateeb alias Nosha, Asghar Ali and Jamshed alias Sheeda. The anti-terrorism court (ATC) Gujranwala had awarded them life imprisonment on September 20.

The additional prosecutor general told The Express Tribune that the role of these convicts was identical to the role of those who were awarded death sentences on four counts. Samad said they had asked that the court award the other six men death penalties on four counts too — on two counts under article 302 of the PPC and on two counts under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). He said that the trial court had ignored the evidence against them while awarding them a lesser sentence.

An appeal was also filed against the acquittal of Muhammad Asghar, Awais, Nadeem Hussain, Shamas Ali and Muhammad Akram. The court had acquitted them, giving them the benefit of doubt. In the appeal, Samad submitted that they had enough evidence to prove their involvement in the incident. However, he submitted that the court did not take the evidence into account and had acquitted them. He appealed to the court to award them death penalties for their participation in the public lynching of the two brothers.

However, the government has also filed appeals against the accused and none against the police officials who were awarded three-year sentences for professional negligence. The government has not filed an appeal against the suspension of the sentence of former District police officer Waqar Chohan either.

The ATC had awarded a three-year sentence to Chohan, former SHO Rana Ilyas, ASI Waris and constables Tariq Mahmood, Muhammad Akram, Mubarak Ali, Muhammad Yasin, Muhammad Bashir and Naseer Ahmed.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2011.