An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Sahiwal on Wednesday sentenced a militant affiliated with the proscribed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to 31 years of rigorous imprisonment in a terrorism and explosives case. According to details published by Dawn, ATC Judge Ziaullah Khan handed down the sentence to Muhammad Hasnain, a resident of Qasba Lareen, Tehsil Ahmedpur, District Bahawalpur, who was arrested during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) near Super City Bypass on May 7.
During the operation, CTD officials recovered 1,950 grams of explosive material, dry cell batteries, electronic devices, circuits, detonators, and a sum of cash from the possession of the accused. The Civil Defence Bomb Disposal Squad later defused the improvised explosive device (IED) recovered during the operation.
Hasnain was charged under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, on the complaint of CTD Inspector Muhammad Anees. The court, after reviewing the evidence, found the accused guilty and awarded him a total of 31 years of rigorous imprisonment.
In a separate case, the same court acquitted three alleged robbers in a case involving an attack on a police party, citing the prosecution’s failure to establish charges.
The case was registered by Chuchak Police Station, Okara, on June 20, 2024, against Sajid Hussain, Ghulam Qadir, and Waseem Riaz for allegedly attacking police personnel near Bongay Bhattian village and abducting a young boy named Wasif.
According to the FIR, the suspects opened fire on the police and later fled the scene, with Wasif being apprehended. However, the court ruled that the evidence presented was insufficient to prove the allegations and acquitted all three accused.
