SUKKUR: An antiterrorism court on Wednesday awarded nine death penalties to an accused and imposed on him Rs1 million fine for killing nine people and wounding seven others in Khairpur 15 years ago.

The judge, Mohammad Mehboob Awan, who presided over the Anti-Terrorism Court-II in Sukkur, heard arguments of prosecutor Munawar Ali Maitlo and defense counsel Zameer Ghangro and found the accused, Raja alias Raju Narejo, guilty of killing nine people and injuring seven others in an attack.

Hence, the court awarded him death nine times, sentenced him to 30 years in prison, and imposed on him Rs1 million fine. The convict with the help of other accomplices had gunned down nine men of Shaikh and Maitlo communities on Jan 11, 2009, in Khairpur. Seven people had also sustained gunshot wounds in the shooting.

The deceased were identified as Isa Sheikh, Naimatullah Sheikh, Abbas Sheikh, Nadeem Sheikh, Zulfiqar Sheikh, Irfan Sheikh, Naik Mohammad Maitlo, Panjal Maitlo, and Rabi Maitlo.

A Khairpur court had already sentenced to death six other accused in the case.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024