FAISALABAD, Nov 21: An anti-terrorism court convicted two people in a murder-cum-dacoity case and acquitted three others by giving them the benefit of the doubt on Wednesday.

Convicts Muhammad Shahbaz and Zafar Iqbal were sentenced to death on two counts, life imprisonment and Rs150,000 fine each. The court ordered them to pay Rs100,000 each to the families of victims. In case of non-payment of fine, the convicts will have to undergo twelve and a half years imprisonment each.

Jehangir, Munir and Zafar were acquitted. One of their accomplices, Zulfiqar, who is still at large, will be tried after his arrest.

The judgment was announced in a mosque near the crime scene in Harsa Sheikh village on the Chiniot-Pindi Bhattian road.

According to the prosecution, a bus carrying pilgrims from Faisalabad airport to their village on March 22, 2000, was stopped by them. When the bus driver tried to speed away, they opened fire killing one Akbar and injuring Nazir Gondal. They also looted cash and valuables from the passengers and fled.

BAN: The district Nazim has prohibited the entry of all people, other than the candidates and the supervisory staff, within 100 yards of the centres of the intermediate, CT and OT examinations.