RAWALPINDI, Feb 2: Four persons were sentenced to death by an anti-terrorist court on Wednesday for killing three men in Jhelum over the issue of demolishing a wall of the mosque in 2008.

Special Judge ATC-I Malik Muhammad Akram Awan sentenced Barkat Ali, Abid Hussain, Ghulam Abbas and Shadman Khan to death for killing Ghulam Nabi, Matloob Hussain and Abdul Qayyum. The incident took place on May 28, 2008.

The court also imposed fine of Rs200, 000 on each of the four convicts and if they could not pay the fine, they had to remain in the jail for three years.

Public Prosecutor Malik Asghar while narrating the details of the case said that Ghulam Nabi wanted to demolish the wall of Samdani Mosque at Nika Khurd area of Chotla police station. When the deceased tried to stop him he along with three other men opened fire at them killing them on the spot.

The court, however, acquitted Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Yousaf for want of evidence against them. They were alleged to have abetted Barket Ali and others for the murder.