KARACHI: An antiterrorism court sentenced on Monday two men to death in a case pertaining to the killing of a worker of Muttahida Qaumi Movement and his brother.

The court found Nasir Butt and Ibrahim alias Qari guilty of killing senior activist of MQM Mansoor Mukhtar and his brother Masood Mukhtar in their house in PIB Colony on March 27, 2012 and also causing injuries to Masood’s wife.

The ATC-VI judge, who conducted the trial at the judicial complex inside the central prison, read out the conviction order after recording evidence of witnesses and concluding arguments from both sides.

The court also handed down 10 years’ imprisonment to both accused for making an attempt on the life of Uzma Masood during the attack.

The judge also imposed fines upon both convicts, but ruled that the capital punishment was subject to the confirmation of high court. The prosecution examined around 10 witnesses in the case including the eyewitness Uzma Masood who had identified the accused persons before a judicial magistrate as well as the trial court. A district and sessions judge had also conducted a judicial inquiry into the double murder case.

Ahmed Ali, Fahim Gujjar, Shah Baloch and Fida Hussain, said to be associated with one of the several criminal gangs operating in Lyari, have been declared proclaimed offenders in the case.

According to the prosecution, the accused along with their absconding accomplices broke into the house of Mansoor, a member of the MQM’s sector committee, in the early hours of March 27 and opened fire on him, his elder brother Maqsood and his wife Uzma. Both brothers died while the woman sustained bullet injuries.

A case was lodged under Sections 302 (punishment for premeditated murder), 324 (attempt to commit murder) and 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 on the complaint of the injured woman at PIB Colony police station.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2018