RAWALPINDI, July 15: The anti-terrorism court No 2 on Thursday awarded three years rigorous imprisonment each to five persons for threatening a judge and using abusive language against him inside the court.

Judge Safdar Hussain Malik also imposed Rs20,000 fine on the five persons Nazir Gul, Mohammad Ishtiaq, Muqarrab Khan, Ahmed Din and Ikramul Haq. In case of non-payment of fine, they would undergo another three months in jail.

According to the prosecution, the convicts had threatened ATC No 1 Judge Manzoor Ahmed Mirza of dire consequences inside his court and also used abusive language against him. The judge was conducting trial in a kidnapping for ransom case registered against six men and two women by the Fatehjang police.

Janab Gul, one of the accused, died in jail during the trial, while the court exonerated two women, Tehmeena Begum and Naveeda Firdaus, of the charges after the prosecution failed to prove them guilty.

Meanwhile, the additional district and sessions judge, Mohammad Akram Awan, handed down life-term to a woman in a drug- trafficking case. The court also imposed Rs20,000 fine on the convict, Safeena Begum.

She would undergo another six months in jail in case she is unable to pay the fine. The prosecution had contended that Rawat police had recovered 75kg of poppy from her possession.