PAKISTAN: MAN HANDED 3 DEATH SENTENCES IN CHUNIAN RAPE, MURDER CASE

December 17, 2019:

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on 17 December 2019 convicted Sohail Shahzad for kidnapping, raping and murdering a minor boy in Chunian and handed him the death sentences on three counts.
Shahzad was arrested by police on 1st October in a case pertaining to the rape and murder of four minors in Chunian. Four children — aged between eight and 12 years — had gone missing since June this year with the latest, eight-year-old Faizan, disappearing on the night of 16 September.
The remains of three of them were found on 17 September from sand dunes near Chunian bypass, sending shock waves among the area residents who held protests to express concern over the continued lawlessness and failure of police to protect the lives of people.
Shahzad was arrested almost two weeks later, after his DNA matched with samples recovered from the remains of a victim. He is still facing trial under charges of raping and killing three other boys.
ATC court judge Mohammad Iqbal read out the verdict.