Wagah border attack: 3 terrorists get death penalty on five counts

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday handed down death penalty on five counts to three terrorists involved in carrying out 2014-Wagah Border suicide attack that had claimed the lives of 60 innocent people. The court also imposed a fine of Rs6 million each on the convicts; Said Jan, Habibullah and Haseenullah; besides awarding life and a total of 300 years jail terms to them. The convicts will undergo an additional punishment in case of non-payment of fine, the court ordered. It also directed the convicts to pay one million rupees each to the families of the victims.

However, the court acquitted accused Shafique, Ghulam Hussain and Azeem after giving them the benefit of the doubt.

ATC-III Judge Ejaz Ahmad Buttar announced the verdict after hearing arguments of the parties and evidence.

Meanwhile, the suspects were produced before the court in strict security.

About 60 people were killed and dozens injured in the suicide attack on November 2, 2014 at the Wagah border.

Batapur police had registered the case under sections 302 (b), 324, 109 of PPC, 544-A CrPC, Section 6 of Explosives Substances Act and Section 7 (A), 7 (c) , 21-I of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

The disbanded Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistani had claimed the responsibility for the attack, although other militant groups, including Jundullah , had also claimed the responsibility.