LAHORE: A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) awarded the Kasur child rape convict 12 death sentences for the rape and murder of three more girls.
The ATC also fined the convict Rs6 million and ordered him to pay Rs3 million as ‘blood money’ to the victims’ families.
The convict, Imran Ali, has already been sentenced to death by the same court for the rape and murder of seven-year-old Zainab.
Imran has been sentenced for the rape and murder of seven-year-old Noor Fatima, eight-year-old Laiba Umar and five-year-old Ayesha Asif and is yet to be sentenced over similar charges involving three more girls in Kasur.
ATC Judge Sajjad Ahmed is conducting daily hearings of the cases inside Kot Lakhpat jail where Imran is incarcerated.
A crime that shook the country
Young Zainab was kidnapped from near her aunt’s house in Kasur on January 4, 2018, and found dead in a garbage heap five days later.
On January 23, the authorities claimed to have nabbed Imran, said to be a serial killer involved in other such crimes, through a DNA match.
The ATC conducted the trial inside the Kot Lakhpat Jail and concluded proceedings a week after the suspect’s indictment, as per the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC).
On February 17, Imran was sentenced to death for kidnapping, rape, murder and under Section 7-ATA. He had confessed to his crime in court on the day of his indictment.
On In June 12, the Supreme Court dismissed Imran’s appeal after a similar dismissal by the LHC. He is yet to seek pardon from the president of Pakistan.
