ATC awards death sentence to rapist-cum-killer

An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday handed down death sentence in one of the cases on three counts to Sohail Shahzad, rapist-cum-killer, of several minor boys of Chunian.

Following a jail trial conducted inside Kot Lakhpat prison, Presiding Judge Muhammad Iqbal convicted Sohail Shahzad in murder case of one Faizan. The judge handed down death penalty to the suspect under sections 367-A, 302-B of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and section 7(a) of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. The convict was also awarded life imprisonment under section 377 of PPC along with a collective fine Rs 3.2 million. Victim Faizan was abducted on September 16 last and his dead body was recovered next day.

The police and a team of Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) had found clothes of Faizan. The officials started to take samples of suspects on September 29 and DNA of 101 accused was obtained including Shahzad. His DNA matched with the samples found on clothes of Faizan and another victim namely Ali Hassnain.

A Deputy Prosecutor General presented 23 prosecution witnesses against the accused. However, the accused denied the charges against him and decided to contest the trial.

Shahzad had been charged with kidnapping, raping and killing minors including Imran, Salman, Ali Hasnain and Faizan. Three of them were residents of Chunian's Ghosia Colony and one of Rana Town.