Court Diary: Two terrorism convicts hanged

LAHORE:

Last week, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi activists Ikramul Haq alias Lahori and Zahid Hussain alias Zahdu were executed.

Lahori was hanged on Saturday. He was sentenced to death on April 26, 2003 by an anti-terrorism court (ATC). The FIR had been registered under Sections 302, 148/149 of Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act in the murder of Nayyer Abbas Qureshi, driver of Altaf Hussain Shah, the complainant. Lahori was a resident of Shor Kot Cantonment, Jhang district.

Zahid Hussain was hanged at the Central Jail on Thursday. He had been convicted by an ATC of killing two policemen and injuring several others in Multan in August 2000. He was given death sentence on two counts, 40 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs260,000.

Last week, two men were awarded death and life imprisonment for attacking an Ahmadi place of worship.

This is the first time anyone has been convicted of violence against Ahmadis.

George Clement, a former minority MNA, said the development was a step in the right direction. “However, a lot more needs to be done to restore the confidence of the minorities. Justice has not been done in Gojra, Shanti Nagar and Joseph Colony cases,” he said. He said that the state should establish its writ to assure the minorities that they would be treated as equal citizens. “Those responsible for attacking the Ahmadis have been convicted. However, they can still be released due to legal loopholes,” he said.

On May 28, 2010, the terrorists had attacked two Ahmadi places of worship in Lahore killing 94 people and wounding 100 others. The Punjabi Taliban, an affiliate of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), had claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Moavia and Abdullah, who had attacked Baitun Noor in the Model Town, were caught.

On Saturday, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sentenced Moavia to death on seven counts. Abdullah was sentenced to life in prison on nine counts. The court also imposed a fine of Rs3 million each on the two.

The law enforcement agencies were unable to arrest anyone involved in attacking the Garhi Shahu place of worship.

Last week, an ATC acquitted two suspects accused of murdering a Shia man and his son after the prosecution witnesses refused to testify. Raoof Gujjar and Sabir Shah had been arrested for allegedly killing Dr Ali Haidar and his son in 2013.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2015.