Daily Times

LAHORE –Death warrants of seven convicts issued in a murder case of two brothers – in Sialkot lynching case – would be hanged on April 08.

Special court Judge Justice Chaudhry Imtiaz Ahmed directed the jail superintendent to execute the culprits on April 8. The warrants were issued by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) after the Lahore High Court rejected appeals submitted by the seven convicts Ali Raza alias Peter, Muhammad Iqbal, Jameel alias Jeela, Shafeeq alias Foji, Sarfraz Ahmad, Rashid and Muhammad Amin.

The honorable judge termed the incident shameful and enraged over the inefficient performance of security forces. Seven culprits have been sentenced to death on four counts, six sentenced to life in jail while 5 accused have been freed. Sialkot former district police officer (DPO) Waqar Ahmed Chohan and 9 policemen have been jailed for three years.

The first information report (FIR) was lodged against 28 including the Sialkot former DPO and other police officials. The accused were charged on November 3, 2011 and the statements of 31 witnesses were recorded. The two brothers – Hafiz MugheesSajjad and Hafiz Muneeb Sajjad – were brutally lynched to death on August 15, 2010.

Sialkot Saddar Police had lodged an FIR on August 20 after the Supreme Court took suo moto and directed the anti-terrorism court, Gujranwala Division, to decide the case within three months. The case was lodged against Jamil alias Jeela, Qaisar Ali, Hassan Raza, Jamshaid alias Sheeda, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Asghar, Muhammad Iqbal, Sarfraz Ahmad, Muhammad Amin, Asghar Ali, Shamus Ali, Ali Raza alias Peter, Ateeb alias Nosha, Awais and Shafique Fauji.

Sialkot DPO Waqar Ahmad Chohan, SHO Rana Muhammad Ilyas, ASI Muhammad Waris, Constables Nazir Hussain, Bashir Ahmad, Tariq Mahmood, Muhammad Akram, Mubarak Ali, Naseer Ahmad and Muhammad Yasin alias Yamin are also included in the FIR. The apex courts had nominated Justice (r) Kazim Ali Malik as the judicial inquiry officer who had cleared both the slain brothers of any robbery or killing charges while the joint investigation team had exonerated five accused – Qaisar Ali, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Asghar, Shamus Ali and Awais.

The team had submitted the challan on October 9, 2010, in the ATC which took more than a year to announce its verdict. During the hearing, the court recorded 42 witnesses of prosecution and used video footages and pictures to reach the final decision.