Pakistani man who murdered girl gets death sentence

ISLAMABAD : A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Saturday gave the death sentence to a suspected serial killer for the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl, a crime that had triggered protests across the country earlier this year.

The gruesome assault in Kasur town, located a short distance from the border of India, led to the setting up of a special task force which traced the rapist, 24-yearold Imran Ali, using DNA samples. Ali was sentenced on four counts – murdering a child, kidnapping a child, raping a minor and committing an unnatural act with a minor. He was also given a seven-year sentence and fined Rs1 million for desecrating the body of the girl.

Ali will have 15 days to file an appeal.

The prosecution team’s lawyer said his team has brought the culprit to justice. “Our judiciary now uses DNA evidence like other countries to conclude a case,” he said during a media briefing after the verdict was announced.

The verdict was announced in Kot Lakhpat jail amid tight security. The trial was conducted in the prison for security reasons. The victim’s father was present for the verdict.

On Monday, the anti-terrorism court had indicted Ali and started regular proceedings after he refused to accept the charges levelled against him by the police. Judge Sajjad Ahmad also recorded the statements of 20 prosecution witnesses during proceedings that lasted 11 hours.

According to investigators, Ali took the girl to an under-construction house where he raped and killed her.