CHITRAL: A court in Lower Chitral has sentenced a resident of Gilgit district to two life terms for the murder of two people during a robbery in Shandur 22 years ago.
District and Sessions Judge Lower Chitral Shahnaz Hamid Khattak announced the verdict against Shahzaib, son of Mansoor Khan, a resident of Sakwar in Gilgit district, in a case dating back to October 2002.
According to Chitral Today, which first reported the verdict, the case was registered at Mastuj Police Station on October 16, 2002, under Sections 302 and 396 of the Pakistan Penal Code in connection with murder and robbery.
The prosecution said Shahzaib, along with his accomplices, killed driver Azmat Khuda, son of Khush Khuda, a resident of Chewo Dok in Lower Chitral, and Sikandar Shah, son of Faqir Muhammad, at Shori near Mas Junali in the Shandur area on October 16, 2002.
The accused allegedly fled the scene after taking the victims’ vehicle.
Shahzaib remained absconding for 22 years before being arrested by police on April 22, 2024. He was subsequently produced before the court to face trial.
After examining the case record, witness statements, evidence and other legal requirements, the court found Shahzaib guilty of the offences.
Under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code, the court awarded him two life imprisonment sentences for the murders of the two victims. It also ordered him to pay Rs1 million each to the heirs of the two deceased, totaling Rs2 million in compensation.
The court further sentenced him to four years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs20,000 under Section 396 of the Pakistan Penal Code for the robbery offence.
The sentences were announced after more than two decades of proceedings following the 2002 killings.
