KARACHI: Five policemen belonging to the Anti-Car-Lifting Cell (ACLC) were sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court on Wednesday for killing four Baloch traders in a staged encounter.

The then station house officer of the ACLC, Malik Irshad Hussain, and constables Zafar Ali, Zahoor Khan, Zaheer Mirza and Noor Mohammad Shah were found guilty of killing the four traders of Balochistan — Haji Mohammad Tahir Achakzai, Obaidullah Khan Tareen, Mohammad Ibrahim Achakzai, and Zainuddin Khan Achakzai — on the night of Dec 31, 2008 on Khalid bin Waleed Road in Ferozabad.

Judge Saleem Raza Baloch of the ATC-III read out the conviction order after recording evidence of witnesses and arguments from both sides.

The court also issued directives for confiscating property of the convicts.

The court ruled that all the accused persons being members of a police team had collectively with their common intention committed the murder of four traders; thus they were sentenced to death on four counts.

The killing had prompted a chain of protests particularly in Balochistan and especially when the police registered a manslaughter case against the police team and also booked the slain traders in three fabricated cases in order to cover up their high-handedness.

However, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice and ordered the authorities to register a premeditated murder case against the police party. Subsequently, a case was registered on a complaint of Haji Lala Khan, the father of one of the four victims.

On Wednesday, four accused were brought to court from prison, while the fifth one, Zafar, was present in court on bail.

The judge read out his verdict and handed down capital punishment to the convicts, but maintained that its implementation was subjected to the confirmation of the high court.

After the verdict, the complainant broke into tears.

Expressing contentment over the verdict, he said justice was done. The defence side said that they would challenge the verdict in the high court.