KARACHI, June 16: The prosecution in the Frenchmen killing case prayed to award capital punishment to the defendants, as the court reserved the judgement on Monday.

Judge Feroze Mahmood Bhatti of the ATC-2, who conducted the trial inside the Central Prison, fixed June 23 for pronouncement of the judgement after hearing the final arguments from the prosecution and defence.

Mohammed Asif Zaheer and Rizwanullah, who were allegedly trained in a camp belonging to Harkat-i-Jihad-i-Islami in Afghanistan, were prosecuted for their involvement in a suicide bomb attack that killed 11 French naval engineers and two Pakistanis.

The French engineers, who were helping Pakistan in building its Agosta 90-B submarine, were killed when an explosive-laden vehicle bumped into their bus outside the Hotel Sheraton.

The bus of the Pakistan Navy, carrying the French engineers, was about to move on Club Road, when a car rammed into the bus and blew up with a bang. The blast destroyed the bus completely and damaged the shops located on the ground floor of the Pearl Continental and Sheraton hotels.

The victims included Leclerc Jean Yves, Bled Cedric, Groux Pascal, Le Carpentier Daniel, Chevassut Jean Michael, Leconte Pascal, Drouet Claude, Dupont Bernard. A Pakistani woman was also among the dead.

Accused Asif Zaheer and Rizwanullah were represented by M R Syed and Gohar Iqbal respectively. Mohammed Ashraf Mughal was appointed on state expenses for the absconding accused Mohammed Saeed alias Akram , Adnan Qamar alias Noni alias Osama, Abdul Samad, Basit and Mustafa.

Special public prosecutor Maula Bux Bhatti assisted by the court’s special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum examined 41 prosecution witnesses in the case.