FAISALABAD, April 3: An Anti-Terrorism Court of Faisalabad awarded on Wednesday life imprisonment to Liaquat Gill of Nagaan (Chak No 272/RB) for killing driver Abdus Salam and injuring Constable Irshad in a police encounter in Dijkot area in 1998.

Judge Ishtiaq Ahmad also awarded 12 years’ rigorous imprisonment, payment of Rs253,758 diyat and Rs70,000 fine to the convict. In case of default, the convict will have to undergo an additional rigorous imprisonment of four and a half years.

The widow of Abdul Salam had pardoned Liaquat and refused to get the diyat amount. The judge, however, ordered the convict to pay diyat to the minor children of the driver.

According to the prosecution, Liaquat Gill and his accomplices Shabbir Hussain alias Bhola, Muhammad Akram, Rana Abdul Razzaq and Aamir alias Morakeen had on May 8, 1998, dragged Abdus Salam out of the car (LHR 4358) at Adda Dijkot and started collecting forced tax from the shopkeepers.

A Dijkot police party reached there after receiving information. Liaquat and his accomplices took the car towards Faisalabad and opened fire on the policemen who were chasing them. As a result, driver Abdus Salam was killed and Constable Irshad Ahmad was injured.

Shabbir alias Bhola was killed when the police retaliated. The other culprits fled away, but were encircled by the police near Darbar Baba Khushi Muhammad. During the exchange of fire between police and the culprits, Aamir alias Morakeen was killed while the others escaped from the scene.

Police arrested Liaquat Gill on June 17, 1998, while his two accomplices have yet to be arrested.