SAHlWAL: Additional District and Sessions Judge Farrukh Hameed acquitted all seven accused in the murder cases of three members of the Ahmadiyya community, which occurred in 2019 and 2021.

The accused included former Union Council chairman Husnain Ali and district office-bearers of the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat organization: Naseeb Ali, Naseer Ali, Muhammad Manasif, Shujaat Ali, and Amjad Asger. Another accused Muhammad Hasan Ramay died of natural causes during court proceedings.

According to the report, on Dec 8, 2019, Basharat Ahmed, a village lumberdar, and his brother Mubarik Ahmed were shot dead in broad daylight by nine unidentified assailants on motorcycles in village 99A/6-R, Sahiwal.

The incident was suspected to be a sectarian killing. The attackers, whose faces were covered, managed to flee the scene.

Farid Town Police registered an FIR against Husnain Ali, Abdul Ghaffar, Naseeb Ali, Naseer Ali, Manasib Ali, Mukhtar Ali, Amjad Ali, Shujat Ali, and two unknown suspects based on a complaint filed by Mubarik`s son, Kamran Tahir. All accused were residents of the same village.

The case remained in court until another incident occurred on September 25, 2021, when the complainant Kamran Tahir, son of Mubarak, was shot dead while returning home on a motorcycle. Once again, Farid Town Police registered a murder case against four unidentified assailants, acting on complaints filed by the victim`s mother, Mubarika Afzal, and Mubarik`s widow, under PPC sections 302 and 34.

The trial for both cases spanned five years.

Due to a lack of evidence, the judge acquitted all seven accused. Correspondent