RAWALPINDI, Jan 26: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday sentenced four abductors to life imprisonment on two counts for kidnapping a businessman from Islamabad in 2009 and demanding ransom for his release.

ATC-III Judge Rana Nisar Ahmed convicted Muhammad Ayaz, Momin Khan, Said Ahmed and Said Muhammad for kidnapping Muhammad Taufiq from Shahzad Town.

The court awarded life term to four convicts and ordered confiscation of their movable and immovable property. The trial judge, however, acquitted two other persons Sarfaraz and Raza Khan for want of evidence, said Special Public Prosecutor Tayyab Shah.

Muhammad Taufiq was kidnapped on April 7, 2009 and taken to Peshawar. Later, a video was released showing Toufiq chained in the custody of the captors.

In the video Taufiq said to his family that he had been kidnapped by Taliban and Rs60 million should be paid as ransom for his safe release.

The Islamabad police traced the captors through their cell phones and arrested them before they could collect the ransom amount. — Our Reporter