KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Thursday awarded death sentence to a convict for murdering his wife, two minor children and a minor brother-in-law over domestic issues in 2017.

Muhammad Manan was found guilty of torturing his wife Rabia, one-year-old son Rehan, three-year-old daughter Raheela and six-year-old brother-in-law Noor Muhammad within the jurisdiction of Iqbal Market police station.

On Thursday, the ATC-V judge, who conducted the trial in the judicial complex inside the central prison, pronounced his verdict reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The judge noted that the prosecution successfully proved its charges against Muhammad Manan. The man was also ordered to pay Rs100,000 each to the legal heirs of the victims.

On default, he would undergo an additional imprisonment for six months and the compensation amount shall be recovered as arrears of land revenue.

However, the judge acquitted Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Yousuf by extending them the benefit of the doubt.

The judge discharged their bail bonds.

State prosecutor Ghulam Abbas Dalwani said that according to complainant Sabir Ahmed, his daughter Rabia, then aged 24/25 years, had been divorced and had a three-year-old-daughter Raheela.

He added that the complainant got his daughter re-married to Muhammad Manan. The complainant’s six-year-old son Noor Muhammad was also residing with the couple since their son was born, who aged one-and-half-year at the time of the incident.

The prosecutor said that two sons of Manan’s former wife — Asif and Yousuf — became jealous with their stepmother. On July 12, 2017, Manan and his sons quarrelled with Rabia and subsequently starting beating her along with her minor children and brother with iron rods.

The prosecutor said four victims received severe injuries and died on the spot while the accused managed to flee.

The prosecutor argued that all the prosecution witnesses fully supported the case, which involved brutal murder of four innocent people, including three minors.

He asked the court to punish him in accordance with the law.

On the other hand, defence counsel Haider Farooq Jatoi contended that his clients were framed in the present case on the basis of false allegations and asked the court to acquit them of the same.

A case was registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 at the Iqbal Market police station on the complaint of the Sabir Ahmed.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2022