SWABI: A local court sentenced a man to death and fined him Rs0.4 million in a double murder case, a prosecutor said on Monday.

The trial of the case had started in the court of Iftikhar Elahi, additional district and sessions judge, in February last year. The accused, Musadiq, a resident of Kalu Khan village, had killed Shahab and his minor daughter, Salma. He was arrested by the police soon after the incident.

The prosecutor said that the accused was sentenced to death on two counts as for the murder of Shahab and minor Salma, and the verdict made clear that `he will be hanged from neck till death.

In addition, the convict was also fined Rs400,000 on two counts to be paid to the legal heirs of the deceased in terms of Section 544-A of Code of Criminal Procedure.

Meanwhile, an anti-encroachment operation was launched in the Afghan refugee camp in Topi tehsil and its suburbs on Monday, said officials.

A building constructed on state land was razed with the help of an excavator after the officials of the revenue department marked the enforcement areas.

An official said letters were issued to the owners of the building to vacate the government land, but to no avail, prompting the action.

`No one is allowed to construct buildings on public property and occupy it. We have launched an operation against these people and it will continue,` the official said. Correspondent