What you sow…: ATC hands down 150 years in life sentences to three killers

PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday handed down double life imprisonment sentences to three people, totalling 150 years, for kidnapping a child and killing him in the jurisdiction of Hashtnagri police station. Ali Raza, Bakhtiar, Yasir Shehzad and Bilal reportedly kidnapped 10-year-old Shoaib on April 10, 2013 for ransom and later demanded Rs0.5 million for his release. Shoaib’s father, Abdul Wahab, paid the amount demanded, but the child was still not released and later killed. According to a police investigation officer, the child was killed before his remains were dissolved in acid in Kachi Mohalla, Hashtnagri. The accused were charged under sections 365-A (kidnapping), 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) 1860 and Section 7 (creation of civil commotion) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Police also recorded statements of a child who witnessed the killing of the minor. The ATC, after hearing arguments from the police investigation officer and recording witness statements, awarded a double life imprisonment sentence to Raza, Bakhtair and Shehzad; Bilal was acquitted because he was a juvenile. In cold blood The ATC also sentenced a culprit to life in prison and a fine of Rs100,000 for murdering one person in the judicial complex in district Charsadda April last year. In case of not paying the fine, the accused will have to serve an additional year behind bars. The accused, Rahat Shah, was arrested for killing Shamsur Rehman on April 13 last year and was charged under sections 302 of PPC, 13 of Arms Ordinance and 7ATA. Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2014.