KARACHI, July 6: Judge Haq Nawaz Baloch of the Anti-Terrorism Court No. 5 on Tuesday awarded death penalty to three workers of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi in five sectarian murder cases.

Ataullah, Mohammed Azam and Mohammed Riaz stood quiet behind the bars as the judge announced the verdict inside the Central Prison around 1pm. The judge also ordered confiscation of convicts' properties worth Rs500,000 each in every murder case.

Ataullah, already condemned to death in several other sectarian murder cases, was sentenced to death in all five murder cases, while Mohammad Azam, a co-accused in four cases, was awarded death penalty in three cases as he was acquitted in one of the cases.

Mohammed Riaz was found guilty of committing murder and was also condemned to death, with Ataullah, in the case. Ataullah and Mohammed Azam were awarded death penalty for killing Dr Raza Peerani on June 26, 2003, in Soldier Bazaar.

The two had stopped their bike beside the doctor's car as he got into it after leaving his clinic and the pillion rider, Ataullah, opened fire. Two dispensers at the clinic who had witnessed the scene identified the two LJ men as killers in the court.

Another case against them pertained to the killing of Syed Athar Hussain Rizvi, Pesh Imam of Asgharia Imambargah, on May 3, 2001, in Korangi. According to the prosecution, the accused came to the house of the Pesh Imam on foot around 10pm.

They called the victim and as he opened the door, one of the accused opened fire on Mr Rizvi. The same accused were also found guilty of having killed another Pesh Imam of an imambargah and his son on September 12, 2001 in Gizri.

Syed Razi Haider Najafi, the pesh imam, who was also a teacher at a school, and his 15-year-old son Syed Abbas Ali were killed and his youngest son, Syed Mohammed Ali, was injured around 7:45am when the accused, riding a bike, opened fire on their car near Sub-marine Chowrangi.

The judge also sentenced them to suffer a 10-year rigorous imprisonment for injuring the Pesh Imam's son. They were ordered to pay Rs50,000 as Diyat to the injured. Ataullah was sentenced to death for killing a factory-owner in Korangi Industrial Area.

Co-accused Azam was, however, acquitted in the case. Syed Hasan Abidi was going to his factory with his accountant, Amir Abbas, in his car. As he slowed down the car on a speed-breaker, two attackers on a motorbike opened fire on them. Abidi died instantly and Abbas suffered bullet wounds.

The judge also sentenced Ataullah to a seven-year term for injuring the victim's accountant. He was fined Rs50,000 and he would have to undergo an additional six-month term in case of default on the payment.

Ataullah and Mohammed Riaz were also found guilty of having killed an owner of the video shop on March 21, 2002 in Mehmoodabad. Two people were also injured in the shop attack. The two came on a bike and opened fire on Kazim Hussain Jafferi, who was sitting in the shop. The accused were also sentenced to a seven-year term for injuring the people.

The judge imposed a fine of Rs50,000 each on the convicts, who would have to undergo an additional six-month term in case of default on the payment. Accused Riaz was also sentenced to a seven-year term for possessing an unlicensed weapon. Special public prosecutor Mazhar Qayyum represented the state in all cases.