ATC sentences Shaheed Salman Taseer vigil attackers to five years

It’s worth mentioning here that the Pakistan Peoples Party Social Media Punjab, headed by Jahanara M Wattoo, head S media Punjab along with social media team Junaid Qaiser, Syed Ashan Abbas Rizv, Mirza Awais Baig, Zeeshan Baig Shami, Mujtaba Subhani and others participated in the vigil attacked by a mob of religious fanatics.

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday sentenced five convicts to 16 years and six months collective imprisonment each for attacking a candlelit vigil held by civil society to mark the fifth death anniversary of martyred Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer at Liberty Chowk on January 4.

ATC Judge Haroon Latif Khan said the incident was nothing but another glaring example of the timid and ignorant thinking of religious extremists who had poisoned and spoiled the minds of young people. The judge also said that the attackers had no motive but to terrorise the people. He sentenced Muhammad Adeel, Furqanul Haq, Muhammad Iftikhar, Wazir Ali and Kashif Munir under five sections. They were sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment each with Rs 20,000 fine each under Section 7(h) of ATA.

For constituting unlawful assembly to commit rioting, they are sentenced to three-year rigorous imprisonment each under Section 148-Pakistan Penal Code.

On charge of attempting to abduct a prosecution witness, they are sentenced to three-and-a-half-year imprisonment each under Section 365 PPC read with Section 511PPC.

The men are sentenced to three-year rigorous imprisonment each with Rs 20,000 fine each under Section 153-A, PPC. The judge ordered that in case of default of payment of fine, the convicts would further undergo six-month imprisonment each and the fine would be recovered as arrears of land revenue.

The judge gave benefit of Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code to the convicts by which the period of their detention, as under trial prisoners would be deducted from their sentences. He acquitted two accused Din Muhammad and Muhammad Sajid by holding that they had no role in the alleged occurrence, whereas the trial of the prime suspect Mumtaz Sindhi was yet to be completed.

While convicting the accused, he discarded the defence that they went at Liberty Roundabout to celebrate Eid Miladun Nabi. He held that the defence taken by the accused was nothing but a sham.

On the complaint of Abdullah Malik a case was registered against the five people under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Sections 365, 427, 183, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

On January 4, a group of enraged men had attacked participants of a candlelit vigil at the Liberty Chowk, organised to mark the death anniversary of slain Pakistan People’s Party leader Salmaan Taseer. They snatched and tore placards and photos of the former governor before swearing at and beating up the peaceful protesters.(Source: Daily Times)