Four executed for gang-raping Christian girl
Staff report
FAISALABAD: Four Muslim men convicted of raping a 14-year-old Christian girl seven years ago were hung early on Thursday morning after losing a six-year legal battle against the death sentence, officials said.
Muhammad Ashraf (34), Umer Hayat (32), Shahzad Ahmad (29) and Mubarik Ali (28) were executed at the Faislabad central jail at 4:30 am. Superintendent District Jail, Yousaf Ghauri, told Daily Times that the men had until the last moment pleaded their innocence.
According to the prosecution, Bashir Maseeh, a sanitary worker of Chak 144 RB, filed an application with the Jhumrah police stating that on the night of November 6, 1999, the accused broke into his house, took turns raping his daughter, Saima, before stealing valuables worth Rs 60,000. Bashir said that the men had threatened to kill him if he raised an alarm.
ATC Judge Chaudhry Mohammad Ikram sentenced the four men to death on December 18, 1999, a move upheld by the High Court, the Supreme Court and also President General Pervez Musharraf. However, the execution dates were later extended on three occasions.
Ghauri said that close relatives of the convicted men met them before the hanging, adding that the dead bodies were handed over to family members two hours later. |
