RAWALPINDI, March 17: An anti-terrorism court here on Monday awarded two and a half years rigorous imprisonment to a man for hurling threats to former Punjab chief minister and District Nazim Chakwal aimed at extorting money from them.

Special Judge ATC 1 Ch Habibur Rehman in his order found Mohammad Hasib a resident of Dhab Kala Chakwal guilty of hurling terrorism threats to both Pervaiz Illahi and Sardar Ghulam Abbas, the Nazim, in a bid to obtain money from them and awarded him two and a half years imprisonment.

The court said the prosecution had failed to establish the link of the criminal with any banned religious outfit and to recover any weapon or explosive materials but Hasib was found guilty of hurling threats to get money. He was therefore penalised for trying to obtain money under duress.

The court in its order said the sentence would include the period the criminal had spent in jail as an under-trial prisoner.

According to details, Gul Afsar, a telephone operator in the office of district nazim, complained to Saddar police that a caller using a mobile phone threatened that he would plant bombs at Dudhial, the proposed site of public gathering to be addressed by both former CM and the district nazim.

The complainant said the man repeatedly called and demanded Rs500,000 to drop his plan of bombing the public gathering.