MANSEHRA: A district and sessions court on Wednesday awarded death sentence to a man and life imprisonment and fine to a woman after conviction in a murder case.

Abdul Wahab had shot dead Umar Khattab in Battal area in October last year and the slain man’s wife and his alleged lover, Tehmina Bibi, helped him.

After hearing the case for 10 months, Judge Younas Khan announced the verdict handing down death sentence and Rs200,000 fine to Abdul Wahab and life imprisonment and Rs200,000 fine to Tehmina.

Half of the fine will go to the family of the slain man.

The police had registered an FIR against convicts on the complaint of Inkasari Begum, mother of the firing victim.

Also in the day, hundreds of people took to the streets and blocked Karakoram Highway to protest the killing of a youngster by a speedy van in Baffa Doraha area.

The protesters placed the body of Zulfiqar Ahmad on the Karakoram Highway in Baffa Doraha and blocked the road for over two hours.

They demanded registration of FIR against van driver Mubashir Ahmad.

The police registered FIR against the suspect under Section 320 of CrPC considering the death was caused by accident.

However, protesters demanded registration of FIR under Section 302 insisting the driver had killed Zulfiqar Ahmad at will.

The mob agreed to disperse after the DSP Shinkiari showed up and promised to update the FIR by incorporating Section 302 of CrPC.

POLICE PRAISED: Inspector general of police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nasir Khan Durrani on Wednesday praised the provincial police for rendering great sacrifices for the people’s protection “I’ve served in almost all provinces and Islamabad but never saw such bravery and dedication (of the provincial police) anywhere,” Mr Durrani said during a police darbar (gathering) here.

DIG, Hazara range Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur, district police officer Khurram Rashid and DSP Zulfiqar Khan were also in attendance.

The police chief said he won’t tolerate black sheep in the department and would sack them without considering their ranks and background.

He said Hazara was a peaceful division compared with other divisions of the province but the security threat for it was there, so police should act more vigilantly.

Mr Durrani later visited a local memorial of the policemen, who laid down life on duty, and laid floral wreath there.

He also visited Battagram and addressed a police darbar there.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2014