Gilgit- Anti
Terrorism Court sentences 12 people, including Baba Jan, to life imprisonment reporting,
by Abdul Rehman Bukhari
Gilgit, September
25: An Anti-Terrorism Court in Gilgit today sentenced twelve people,
including Progressive Youth Front leader Baba Jan, to life in prison. They will
spend 40 additional years in prison, besides paying 500,000 rupees in fines, according
to the verdict announced this morning. Moreover, the convicts’ properties and
earnings will be used to reconstruct buildings damaged and assets put on fire
on 11th August 2011 in Aliabad, Hunza.
According to
details, Judge Shahbaz Khan of the Anti-Terrorism Court Gilgit today announced
the verdict of a case registered against 17 people on charges of attacking and
torching government buildings in Aliabad on 11th August 2011. Enraged mobs had
attacked and vandalized government buildings in Aliabad on 11thAugust after police killed two unarmed Internally
Displaced People (IDPs), father and son, belonging to the disaster hit Attabad
village of Gojal Valley, upper Hunza.
The firing incident occurred when a
group of IDPs, unable to get cash promised by the government, had blocked the
road and were protesting on the Karakuram Highway that day. The Chief Minister
of Gilgit-Baltistan, Syed Mehdi Shah, was scheduled to visit the region on and
the police were forcing the protesters to clear the road for his motorcade.
Hot words were exchanged between the
police and the protesters, leading to a small brawl and stone-pelting. This was
followed by straight firing by the police (videos and photographs of which are
available with different media outlets), leading to the death of two people.
Three people also sustained injuries.
The shooting was followed by riots
and thrashing of police officials. Building and vehicles were stormed and put
on fire by the angry mobs. Several dozens of people were rounded up later by
law enforcers and cases were registered against them on the chrages of
terrorism, damaging public properties and other counts.
Fourteen of the 17 accused appeared
in the Court today, while three have been declared absconders. They will also
get the punishment given to the 9 others present in the court today, the
verdict said.
The court released
five people, including Irfan Karim, Salman Karim, Muhammad Khan, Ghulam Abbas
and Amir Ali, honorably acquitting them of the charges.
According to the verdict, the 12
people, including three absconders, will spend their lives in prison. They will
spend additional 40 years in prison and pay 500,000 each in fines.
The 12 people sentenced for life
today are: Iftikhar Hussain son of Muhammad Ishaq, Irfan Ali s/o Arman Shah,
Baba Jan s/o Abdullah Baig, Aleemullah Khan s/o Taighoon Shah, Sher Khan s/o
Hamadullah Baig, Rashied Minhas Anees s/o Abdul Mateen, Sarfaraz s/o Ghulam
Musa, Musa Baig s/o Abdul Rehman and Shukrullah Baig s/o Amanullah.
The absconders, who have also been
sentenced for life, include Meher Ali s/o Farman Ali, Deedar Ali s/o Ameer Ali
and Nasir s/o Ghulam Rasool.
It is pertinent to note that so far
no action has been taken against the police officials who shot the two IDPs
dead. DSP Babar, the officer in-charge at the spot, was promoted to the rank of
SP and retired a couple of years ago.
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