LHC rejects plea for public hanging of Zainab's killer

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Amin Ansari, the father of seven-year-old Zainab, seeking a public hanging of his daughter’s rapist and murderer, Imran Ali.

A division bench of the high court dismissed the petition, terming it non-maintainable.

Justice Sardar Ahmed Shamim, who was heading the bench, asked if the petitioner had submitted a request to the government in this regard.

Ishtiaq Chaudhry, the lawyer for the petitioner, said they had submitted a request to the government, but to no avail.

At this, the judge said the petitioner should have approached the court at that time. “You have come here late. The date of the execution has been fixed for tomorrow,” said Justice Shamim.

Earlier, the petitioner submitted that convict Imran Ali, who will be sent to the gallows on Oct 17, should be executed publicly under Section 22 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. He pleaded that the section allows the government to “specify the manner, mode and place of execution of any sentence passed under this Act having regard to the deterrent effect which such execution is likely to have.”

Amin said the murderer of Zainab should be given exemplary punishment to stop such incidents in future.

The convict will be hanged on the morning of October 17 at the Lahore Central Jail. He was found guilty of rape and murder of seven minors including Zainab.