KARACHI, Feb 25: An anti-terrorism court on Saturday sentenced an extortionist to five years imprisonment.

The court found Mohammad Ahmed, said to be a political activist, guilty of extorting money from a shopkeeper by putting him in fear of death within the remit of Aziz Bhatti police station in August 2011.

Judge Bashir Ahmed Khoso of ATC-I read out the conviction order after hearing both sides.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs20,000 and in case of default the accused would have to undergo an additional six-month imprisonment.

Earlier, in the final arguments, the defence lawyer contended that his client was framed in the case because he refused to bribe the police and prayed to the court to acquit him. However, the public prosecutor, Abdul Maroof, argued that the accused was arrested red-handed and the record of calls he had made to the complainant to demand protection money also fully supported the prosecution’s case and sought maximum punishment.

According to the prosecution, the accused had made a number of calls to complainant Mohammad Rehan Maki, owner of a stationery shop, in August 2011 to extort money from him and, in case of nonpayment, threatened to kill him or his family members.

The complainant reported the matter to police through the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the special investigation unit of police arrested the accused red-handed near Millennium Mall when he came to collect the money while the absconding accused Nadeem Khan managed to escape.

A case (FIR No 261/11) was lodged under Sections 384 (punishment for extortion), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion) and 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or of grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act.

The accused was produced before the court in custody and remanded back to prison along with the conviction warrant to serve out the remainder of his sentence.