The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday sentenced three accused to seven years in prison each in the case of honey-trapping and kidnapping for ransom of renowned Pakistani playwright Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar.
Judge Arshad Javed, while pronouncing the verdict in the case, declared that the culprits, Amna Urooj, Mamnoon Haider, and Zeeshan, were found guilty of demanding ransom. The court sentenced the three to seven years in prison each, while the other accused in the case were acquitted based on insufficient evidence.
The court verdict stated that there is evidence of demanding ransom against the accused, however, the charge of kidnapping against them is not proven. The court clarified in its verdict that the sentence has been imposed given the seriousness of the crime, so that such crimes can be prevented in society.
It should be remembered that the culprits were accused of cleverly honey-trapping and kidnapping Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and then demanding ransom. In light of the arguments of the police investigation and prosecution, the court pronounced the verdict against the accused.
The court had reserved its decision in Qamar’s kidnapping case, with the verdict scheduled to be delivered on April 14. Qamar’s lawyer had formally requested that the accused be sentenced to death.
Qamar had been abducted in July last year, and the prosecution said that Amina Arooj lied to him while calling the famous playwright to her flat, where he secretly filmed him and then abducted him for ransom.
