Robber who killed cop given death sentence

Following a retrial, an anti-terrorism court on Thursday sentenced a man to death for killing a police officer and injuring a private security guard during a bank robbery six years ago.

Nawaz was found guilty of murdering sub-inspector Ishaque Abbasi and injuring security guard Anwar Saeed during a robbery bid at the Apna Bank near Future Morr in Malir in April 2014.

According to the prosecution, Nawaz along with his accomplice Faizan tried to enter the bank after shooting at Saeed and Abbasi but police constable Fayaz pushed them out and returned the fire. As a result, Faizan died on the spot while Nawaz was apprehended in an injured condition.

Police had found two unlicensed weapons – 9mm and .30 bore pistols – on them. The two other injured were rushed to hospital but Abbasi died on the way.

In 2015, an ATC had awarded capital punishment to Nawaz but later it was set aside by the Sindh High Court on his appeal in 2018 and the ATC-VII was directed to run a retrial.

The accused, through his lawyer, had claimed that he was a passer-by and was injured by the firing of Fayaz but police booked him in the case with malafide intention. He added that the prosecution did not have an independent witness against him but policemen and the bank employees.

On the other hand, the prosecutor said that the witnesses brought forward by the investigation officer did not have any enmity with the accused and that they had deposed before the court on merit. He added that the documentary evidence, such as CCTV footage from the bank, also supported their case.

The court observed that the prosecution had established its case against the accused, while the suspect had failed to prove his innocence of the claim of malafide intention on part of the police. The judge handed Nawaz death sentence along with a 10-year-jail term and ordered him to pay an accumulated fine of Rs750,000 which in case of default will be turned into additional imprisonment.