SIALKOT, July 12: Five convicted of gang-raping a woman were hanged on Wednesday in the district jail despite being forgiven by the victim.

Jail superintendent Intizar Wali Khan told reporters that convicts — Mushtaq Ahmad alias Pappu, Shehzad Masih, Yousaf, Abdul Jabbar and Iftikhar Ali — had raped a local trader’s wife during a dacoity in a house in Shahabpura in Daska on Aug 19, 1997.

Talking to reporters at the Lahore Press Club a few days ago, the victim had forgiven convicts, urging the government also to pardon them for the sake of Allah Almighty. The convicts were, however, not given forgiveness.

Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 judge of Gujranwala Mujahid Mustaqeem had issued black warrants after the rejection of their mercy appeals by the president.

Four convicts belonged to Daska while the fifth hailed from Pasrur.

The jail superintendent said that convict Shahzad Masih was also handed down death sentence in another gang-rape case during a dacoity while he was also under trial in another dacoity-cum-rape case.

He said Mushtaq alias Pappu was also facing trial in another dacoity-cum-rape case.

The jail authority handed over bodies to their heirs. Four of them were buried at Daska while the fifth at Pasrur amid tight security.

Talking to newsmen in jail on Tuesday, convicts had claimed that they were innocent and that the police had implicated them in false and fabricated cases.