QUETTA, Sept 18: The Anti-Terrorism Court, Khuzdar, on Wednesday awarded death penalty to 12 people, eight of them in absentia, for the murder of Sardar Mohammed Aslam Gichki and his two men.

The judge of the court, Mohammed Yousuf Khosa, also awarded each of them additional seven years rigorous imprisonment under section 324 ppc, three years under section 337, one year under section 147 and 148 ppc.

According to the prosecution, Mohammed Aslam Gichki was travelling with his men from Sharigi to Khokhri on June 9, when they were ambushed by the accused and opened fire at them in the Awaran district, bordering Iran. Sardar Mohammed Aslam Gichki, and his two men, Naseer Ahmed and Pasand Khan, were killed on the spot; five were seriously injured.

The Mashkey administration had arrested four of the accused namely, Qadir Bux s/o Mir Hasan, Mohammed Khan s/o Rahim Bux, Abdul Nabi s/o Khuda Bux, Abdul K. Khaliq s/o Ali Murad, and submitted a challan in the Anti-Terrorism Court, Khuzdar, for trial.

Eight of those convicted remain at large. They are: Mir Mohammed Yaqub s/o Mir Hakeem, Bhattay Khan s/o Qadir Bux, Mohammed Akbar s/o Arz Mohammed, Mohammed Khan s/o Akhtar Mohammed, Rahim Bux s/o Murid, Karim Dad s/o Idoo and, Sardar Rustam Khan and Mir Ali Haider, sons of Sardar Arif Jan Mohammed Hasani, the rival tribal chief who was murdered a few years ago.—Agencies