Tight security arrangements were made by police when the two culprits were produced in court. PHOTO: FILE
DERA ISMAIL KHAN:
The anti-terrorism court (ATC) sentenced two members of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) organisation to 1616 years imprisonment and fined them Rs200,000, each.
Ikram and police constable Walid Akber were arrested in connection to a blast targeting the Moharram 10 procession near Commissionary Bazaar, which killed seven people and injured 21 others.
Tight security arrangements were made by police when the two culprits were produced in court.
ATC Judge Wajahudin ordered the sentencing and observed the fines collected from both men be paid to the legal heirs of the blast victims as monetary compensation.
The court also issued arrest warrants for Umar Khitab, Jawad Ikram and Adnan, alleged to be co-conspirators in the Commissionary Bazaar blast. They remain at large and police are actively searching for them.
DI Khan DIG Qazi Jamilur Rehman briefed the media and produced Akber and Ikram in front of cameras in handcuffs on January 2 this year. During a press conference at Police Lines, he said the culprits had confessed they belonged to LeJ during an interrogation and also admitted to having links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. They were involved in other acts of terrorism in DI Khan besides the Moharram blast as well, he added.
On November 25, 2012, seven people were killed and 21 others, including three FC officials, were injured when a remote-controlled bomb targeting a Moharram procession in Commissionary Baazar exploded. Following the incident, then City Police SHO Sanaullah Khan registered an FIR against unidentified culprits.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2013.
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