SARGODHA: Tension prevailed in Kotla Jam, Bhakkar district, between two sectarian groups when nine convicts were awarded death penalty, four were sentenced to life imprisonment, one was awarded 10-year rigorous imprisonment and 179 were acquitted by the Anti-Terrorism Court on Wednesday .

The convicts were involved in the killing of 10 activists of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) and Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) when a clash broke out in Kotla Jam on Aug 23, 2014, between the two groups.

Two FIRs were registered by Saddar police and about 194 accused from both sides were challaned. Police forwarded the challan to the ATC, Sargodha, and after recording of evidence of the prosecution and defence and hearing the arguments of counsel for both sides, the court awarded death penalty to Rajab Ali, Niazi Husain, Haji Sajwal, Arif Husain, Ghulam Qamber, Imtan Shah and Ijaz Husain of MWM , Rana Muhammad Tufail and Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal of ASWJ.

Maulana Abdul Hameed Khaliq is provincial chief of MWM. Manzoor Ahmed, Aka Shah, Abdul Gafoor Haqqani and Zubair of ASWJ were awarded life term with a fine of Rs0.5 million. Jalees Husain of MWM was awarded 10-year imprisonment.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2015

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