Capital punishment: Man awarded death for murders

FAISALABAD: Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Ishtiaq Ahmad on Wednesday sentenced a man to death for shooting two people dead on court premises seven years ago. Sajjad Ahmad, a resident of Khurarianwala, had shot Abid Ali and Mehmoodul Hassan on March 6, 2006, at the Jaranwala tehsil court. A police constable and two other people were also injured. Hassan and Ali were going to appear before Additional District and Session Judge Jafar Hussain Jafri. The judge awarded Ahmad death sentence on two accounts under Section 302-B of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act 1997. He also directed Ahmad to pay Rs200,000 to the legal heirs of the deceased. Ahmad was also sentenced to two years imprisonment and fined Rs20,000 under Section 148 of the PPC (rioting, armed with deadly weapon). He was sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs50,000 under Section 21-L of the ATA (punishment for an absconder). He will have to undergo an additional three-month detention if he fails to pay his fine.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2013.