KHANEWAL, Oct 31: A local sessions court has acquitted former state minister Raza Hayat Hiraj and three others, including his brother, of murder of a PPP-backed union council nazim some three years ago.

The court, however, sentenced three of their accomplices to death and fined them Rs100,000 each. It also declared another accomplice a proclaimed offender (PO).

Darkhana union council nazim Khizer Tauru was gunned down in June 2005 on which a case was registered against eight suspects, including the then state minister Raza Hiraj, his brother and Kabirwala tehsil nazim Akbar Hayat, Ghulam Raza Daduana, Liaqat Ali Dhiraj, Rabnawaz Daduana, Shahnawaz, alias Shahu, Sajjad Ahmad, alias Sajju Ludhiana, and Nazir Ahmad, alias Nazira Bhatti with Sarai Sadhu police of Kabirwala tehsil.In his verdict announced on Friday evening, Additional Sessions Judge Ch Shabbir Hussain acquitted Raza Hiraj, Akbar Hiraj, Raza Daduana and Liaqat Dhiraj while sentencing Rabnawaz, Shahnawaz and Nazir to death and fining them Rs100,000 each. The judge also declared Sajjad a PO.

Raza Hiraj and Akbar Hayat were accused of conspiring the murder which charge, according to the judge, stood unproved during trial.

Sajjad and Nazir had fled after breaking Multan’s Central Jail around six months ago. Though Nazir later surrendered, Sajjad remained at large and was declared a PO.