Sectarian serial killers of Lashkar-i-Jhangvi awarded death and life sentences in Karachi
15-4-2002
KARACHI, April 15: Five high profile cases of sectarian
killings during the last year in the city ended in conviction of four
activists of defunct Lashkar-e-Jhangvi by the Anti-terrorism Court-III
on Monday.
Convict Khalil Ahmed was sentenced to death on four
counts and to pay Rs 700,000 as Diyat to legal heirs of the deceased.
Convict Talha Hussain was awarded capital punishment on three counts
and ordered to pay Rs 525,000 as Diyat. Convict Mufti Shahid Hanif was
sentenced to life imprisonment on five counts and to pay Rs 875,000 as
Diyat. He was awarded lesser punishment on the grounds that he had
been instrumental and not directly involved in the killings. Another
convict Syed Haider Ali was awarded life imprisonment on one count and
ordered to pay Rs 175,000 as Diyat.
All the four were also convicted and sentenced in
separate cases of keeping illegal arms. They were alleged to have
committed the murders on the instructions of their ringleader Muhammad
Ajmal alias Akram Lahori, a proclaimed offender in the cases. They, in
their confessions, recorded by a judicial magistrate, had allegedly
admitted to have carried out the killings and categorically stated:
"Shias are Kafirs (non-believers) and we will get reward
hereafter for killing them."
The cases involve assassination of Director
Research and Technology Centre of Ministry of Defence Syed Zafar
Hussain, DE Pak Capital Exchange Capt (retd) Altaf Hussain, Dr Raza
Mehdi Jaffery, Dr Ishrat Hussain and Imam Masjid Syed Husnain Naqvi
between May 31 and Sept 10 last year. Mufti Shahid Hanif was common
convict in all the cases.
The convicts raised slogans against the rival sect
as soon as Judge Arshad Noor Khan retired to his chamber after
pronouncing judgments in these cases. Later they claimed before the
reporters that they were innocent and judicial confessions were
extracted of them under duress. They also expressed hope of 'getting
justice' at appellate level.
Advocate General Sindh Raja Qureshi and AAG Habib
Ahmad, who had prosecuted the cases, later told reporters that the
convicts had admitted in their judicial confessions that they had
committed the murders and had said that they had did no wrong by
killing them as it was an act of 'Sawab' to kill Shias. Prosecution
witnesses had identified them in the identification parades. Besides,
the prosecutors further said, the reports of forensic tests and
ballistic experts also corroborated the prosecution. The prosecution
was 'satisfied' with the death penalty awarded to the convicts.
"So far as life imprisonment awarded to accused Mufti Shahid, we
will, with the approval from the competent authority, file appeal
against it and seek death for this convict also," they told the
reporters.
Counsel for Mufti, Naimat Ali Randhawa expressed
the hope that even the life-term awarded to his client would be set
aside by in appeal. The court, headed by Arshad Noor Khan, concluded
trial in these cases in a record time of 44 days.
According to prosecution Mufti Shahid Hanif and
Khalil Ahmed murdered Dr Raza Mehdi Jaffery outside his clinic in Bl
15, Gulshan-e-Iqbal on May 31, 2001. In this case convict Khalil Ahmad
was sentenced to death while Mufti Shahid was awarded life term. The
convict would also pay Diyat of Rs 175,000 each to heirs of the
deceased.
Mufti Shahid Hanif, Talha Hussain and Haider Ali,
killed Dr Ishrat Hussain in Block 'P' Nazimabad on July 8, 2001 while
the doctor was going in his car to his clinic in D'Silva Town. In this
case Talha was sentenced to death while two others were awarded life
term. They would also have to pay Rs175,000 Diyat each.
Mufti Shahid Hanif, Talha and Khalil shot dead Syed
Zafar Hussain while he was sitting in his car outside his residence in
Nazimabad-II A on July 30, 2001. In this case Khalil and Talha were
sentenced to death while Mufti Shahid was awarded life term. They were
also sentenced to pay Diyat.
Mufti Shahid and Khalil murdered Syed Husnain Ali
Naqvi near Arshi Shopping Centre, FB Area on Sept 4, 2001. Khalil was
awarded death while Mufti Shahid was sentenced to life imprisonment.
They would also pay Diyat.
Mufti Shahid, Talha and Khalil had murdered Capt
(retd) Altaf Hussain in his car near Chandni Cinema on University
Road. In this case Talha and Khalil were sentenced to death and Mufti
Shahid was sentenced to life term. The three were also sentenced to
pay Diyat.
Refering Site
ATC awards death to seven Sipah-i-Sahaba men after 9 years
LAHORE: While deciding on Friday one of the
longest-pending sectarian case in Punjab, an Anti-Terrorism Court
(ATC) handed down death penalty to seven activists of the banned
Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP). The court also awarded 10-year jail
term to each on 37 counts for hurling hand-grenades at a religious
gathering resulting in the death of a person.
The case was registered by Shad Bagh Police against
18 SSP activists on July 12, 1993. They were tried four times during
the last nine years. Convicts Aslam Muavia, Hafiz Ghulam Farid, Rustam
Khan, Asghar Muavia, Asim Umar, Munir Aijaz and Ubaidullah would also
pay a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the heirs of the deceased,
Syed Nasir Hussain, and further compensation of Rs 20,000 each to the
heirs of 37 injured persons. Besides, each of the convicts would serve
three-year prison term and pay Rs 10,000 fine for unlawful assembly.
The court acquitted 11 other accused -- Sufi Abdul
Rashid, Asghar Ali, Iqbal Muavia, Hafizullah Rabbani, Hafiz Ziaur
Rehman, Aamir Saeed, Muhammad Nadeem, Muhammad Sabir, Qari Ataur
Rehman, Rizwan Muavia and Mir Afzal -- on the benefit of doubt.
According to the prosecution, a religious gathering
was being held at Kashana-e-Raza, Park Road New Shad Bagh when a
leader of SSP Maulvi Abdul Rashid started a provocative lecture in
Masjid Qasmia, in front of the Kashana. The DC, the SP and other
officials deputed on the spot forbade him. Meanwhile, accused Muhammad
Shoaib, Ubaidullah and Munir Aajiz hurled three hand-grenades at the
Kashana from the roof of the mosque while the rest of the 15 accused
opened fire on the gathering. One Syed Nasir Hussain died on the spot
while 37 people were wounded.