LAHORE, Pakistan: A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Tuesday dismissed appeals challenging death sentences, awarded by the military courts to seven persons in targeted killing cases.
The bench, headed by Justice Abdul Sami Khan, heard the appeals, filed by relatives of the convicts including Laila Bibi, challenging their sentences for being unlawful.
Earlier, appellants’ counsel Ali Zia Bajwa and others submitted that the military courts had convicted Sabir Shah, Salman Pathan, Sheikh Farman, Abdul Rauf, Shafaqat Farooqi, Hasham and another for their alleged involvement in targeted killings.
They argued on behalf of the appellants that the convicts’ trials were already in progress before the anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) when they were handed over to the military authorities from Kot Lakhpat Jail.
They said neither the convicts were allowed to meet their families nor given a chance to engage counsel to defend them before the military courts. They said that the families of the convicts had come to know about the military courts’ decision through an ISPR press release.
They contended that convicts were not granted right to fair trial by the military courts. They contended that no accused could be convicted without providing an opportunity of fair trial, as per Article 10 (A) of the Constitution. They pleaded with the court to set aside the convictions as those were not sustainable in the eyes of the law and the cases should be shifted to the ATCs.
However, a deputy attorney general opposed the request and submitted that the convicts were involved in targeted killings and were found guilty during investigation.
He submitted that after fulfilling legal requirements, the cases were transferred to military courts, which awarded sentence after affording them an opportunity of defence.
The bench, after hearing detailed arguments, dismissed the appeals.
Source: APP
