Daily Times

Three individuals have been sentenced to seven years in jail for their involvement in the honey trapping and kidnapping of playwright Khalilur Rehman Qamar. The verdict was announced by Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Arshad Javed on Monday. While Amna Urooj, Mamnoon Haider, and Zeeshan were convicted, other suspects in the case were acquitted.

Khalilur Rehman Qamar, a prominent drama writer known for works like ”Meray Paas Tum Ho” and ”Pyarey Afzal”, was abducted on July 15, 2024, after being lured to a woman’s house in Lahore. He arrived at the designated location around 4:40 a.m. Under the pretext of a meeting to discuss a TV drama, he was welcomed by Urooj, only to be ambushed shortly after his arrival.

The situation escalated when approximately seven armed men entered the room, conducting a body search and robbing Qamar of his belongings, including Rs60,000, an iPhone 11, and his identity card. The FIR, registered at the Sundar Police Station, stated that the kidnappers threatened Qamar, demanding a ransom of Rs10 million and allegedly claiming they had orders to kill him.

As the trial progressed in August, the Anti-Terrorism Court began proceedings against 11 suspects. Throughout the trial, 17 witnesses testified, including Qamar, friends, police officers, and bank staff, providing critical evidence in the case. The judge’s ruling aims to address the serious nature of the crime and uphold justice for the victim.