29 February 2004	Sunday	08 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, Feb 28: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) issued black warrant of convict Shaikh Amjad for hanging him till death in respect of execution of its judgment.

Judge Arshad Noor Khan of ATC-III, who convicted Amjad in a kidnapping and killing case in Oct 3, 2001, issued black warrant for death punishment of the convict as his mercy petition was turned down by the president on Feb 19.

He will be hanged till death in the Karachi Central Prison on March 4, at 5:30am.

Shaikh Amjad was sentenced to death by the ATC on a charge of kidnapping a lawyer, Barrister Shakir Latif, for ransom and later killing him.

According to the prosecution, the convict, a businessman, had kidnapped his next-door neighbour, Shakir Latif, a 23-year-old lawyer, for ransom on July 29, 2001 near a five-star hotel in the Civil Lines area.

He killed the victim giving him poison in a drink in his rented house in Darakhshan. He was caught red-handed on Aug 4, 2001 near a public phone booth while making a call to the victim's family. Later, the body of the victim was recovered from his car, which the convict had abandoned near the Dalton Supermarket.

His appeal against the conviction was rejected by the Sindh High Court on April 22, 2002. The Supreme Court also upheld the conviction of the trial court by rejecting his appeal on April 4, 2003 and review application on September 22, 2003. - PPI