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GUJRANWALA, June 17: The Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 handed down death sentence on six counts and fined Rs3.5 million collectively to five convicts in a murder case of former provincial minister Chaudhry Muhammad Farooq and his five men here on Thursday.
Judge Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah also awarded life-term on six counts each to these convicts in other offences. The judge also awarded life imprisonment with a fine to another convict, Raja Masood Sarwer.
They will have to undergo three-year hard jail if they default in the payment of fine. The court acquitted five co-accused - Ishtiaq Ahmad, Muhammad Khalid, Waris Ali, Masood Kako and Riasat Ali by giving them the benefit of the doubt.
It may be mentioned that at least 10 accused nominated in the murder case are still at large and the court had already declared them as proclaimed offenders. According to the prosecution, convicts Tassawar Hussain, Aurangzeb, Shaukat, Hafiz and Irfan had killed the former provincial minister and his five men and also injured five others over an old enmity in Sarai Alamgir on Dec 29, 2002.
The police had registered a case against the accused but could not arrest them. Later on, the then Wazirabad ASP now officiating as DPO, Waqar Ahmad Chohan, had raided a hideout of the accused in Peshawar along with a heavy police contingent and arrested them.
The police had also recovered arms from their possession. The Punjab IGP had also awarded Mr Chohan Rs0.5 million cash prize and a commendation certificate.
FRANCHIZED TRANSPORT: The franchized transport system will also be introduced in Sialkot in view of its successful operation in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad and Gujranwala while the wagon service will be wound up under the government policy.
This was stated by Regional Transport Authority (RTA) secretary Sikander Zulqarnain here on Thursday. He uttered his displeasure over a protest campaign launched by the Transport Society Gujranwala (TSG) against the district administration and transport minister for winding up the wagon service.
He alleged that a legal and administrative issue was being politicized with the support and at the beck and call of some political leaders. He pointed out that around 25 franchized buses were being plied between Kamoke and Ghakkhar successfully.
He said the district coordination officer had provided maximum relief to the owners of wagons by offering them alternate routes. But they had launched the protest campaign instead of seeking alternate route permits for their vehicles, he added.
