ABBOTTABAD, April 7: The Peshawar High Court's Abbotabad circuit bench on Wednesday upheld capital punishment awarded to advocate Sardar Moazzam by an anti-terrorism court, in the murder case of Dr Farooque Hilal of Ayub Medical College.

The two-member bench comprising Justice Shehzad Akber Khan and Justice Fazalur Rehman Khan dismissed criminal appeal of Sardar Moazzam, observing that the prosecution had proved its case against the appellant. The anti-terrorism court had convicted Sardar Moazzam and had sentenced him to death with a fine of Rs300,000. On another count he was sentenced by the ATC to 10 years' imprisonment.

Senator Khalid Ranjah appeared for the appellant, NWFP advocate general Barrister Jehanzeb Raheem represented the provincial government and Mushtaq Tahirkheli advocate appeared for the complainant. Last year, Dr Farooque was murdered on the premises of Ayub Medical College which resulted in widespread protests and road blockades.

The main Karakoram Highway was closed for more than 48 hours, the longest ever closure in history. The accused was tried by the ATC, whose decision was challenged first in the high court and then in the Supreme Court.

Both rejected the appeals, and empowered the ATC to hear the case. The accused challenged the ATC verdict, upon which the PHC's Abbottabad circuit announced its verdict on Wednesday.