Man handed down death penalty for raping minor girl

An anti-terrorism court has handed down the capital punishment to a man for subjecting a minor girl to rape in 2017.

ATC-V judge found Amjad Ali alias Zakir guilty of sexually abusing the girl within the jurisdiction of the Shah Latif Town police station five years ago. He pronounced the verdict he had reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both defence and prosecution sides. The trial was held in the judicial complex inside the central prison.

“Amjad Ali, alias Zakir, without any shadow of doubt, is convicted under Section 376(3) of the Pakistan Penal Code,” the judge ruled. However, he said, the death penalty was subject to confirmation by the Sindh High Court under Section 376 (power of the high court to confirm the sentence or annual the conviction) under the Criminal Procedure Code.

The court, therefore, directed the office to send the case record to the SHC in terms of Section 25 (2) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 for the confirmation of the death sentence as required under Section 374 (sentence of death to be submitted by Court of Session) of the CrPC. The convict can also file an appeal with the high court, challenging his conviction.