SARGODHA, Sept 25: Announcing its judgment in the May 9 Phularwan town shooting on an Eid Milad rally, a local anti-terrorism court awarded 420-year collective sentence to four accused with Rs220,000 collective fine, 74-year sentence to two others with Rs70,000 fine and acquitted rest of the 53 accused for lack of evidence.

This judgment was announced amid tight security on Tuesday evening as the people of rival sects were present outside court in large numbers.

According to prosecution, convicts Imtiaz Ahmed, Abdul Raoof, Shakir Khan, Arshad, Master Javed and Muhammad Ansar, along with their accomplices, attacked a group of Berailvi faith followers on Eid Milad. Their indiscriminate shooting left a dozen people, including Shahbaz, Shafiq, Shamshad, Arif, Abdul Ghafoor, Sajid Ali, Raza Muhammad, Abdul Hai and Liaqat Ali critically injured.

The firing created panic in Phularwan, a small town 56km from here. The local police challaned 63 people under section 324/149&148 PPC and 7 Anti-Terrorism Act.

Imtiaz Ahmed, Abdul Raoof, Shakkir Khan and Arshad were awarded collective sentence of 420 years and fine. Whereas Master Javed and Muhammad Ansar were awarded 70 years imprisonment and fine. They belonged to Deobandi sect.