Islamabad: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday handed over four counts of death penalty to accused Imran Ali under Section 7 of anti-terrorism act in seven-year-old Zainab Ansari’s rape and murder case.
The verdict was announced by ATC judge Sajjad Ahmed at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore. The court also sentenced Imran Ali to life imprisonment and imposed Rs 1 million fine.
It is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a trial was completed in four days with 13-hour-long proceedings daily.
As per the orders of Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, Punjab Prosecutor General Ahtesham Qadar personally attended all the hearings of the case.
He said the trial in the rape and murder of other seven girls against the suspect is underway as legal requirements have to be fulfilled yet.
Seven-year-old Zainab Ansari went missing on January 4 on her way back to home from maternal aunt’s house. On January 8, her body was found in a garbage dump in Kasur.
She had marks of torture on nose, neck, and other parts of the body and was raped before murder, revealed medical report.
The guardians complained upon return from Saudi Arabia that the police did not cooperate with the relatives, who were looking for her. On January 10, protests broke out against the murder and people demanded to hang the culprit in public.
Police officers resorted to aerial firing when violent protesters tried to storm commissioner office, killing two people and injuring three others. The wounded were shifted to the hospital for medical assistance.
