Zainab's murderer Imran Ali hanged at Kot Lakhpat jail

LAHORE: Imran Ali, who was awarded death penalty in the rape and murder case of seven-year-old Zainab, met his ultimate fate early Wednesday morning.

Ali was hanged to death at 5:30 am at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Central Jail.

He was executed in the presence of Judicial Magistrate Adil Sarwar, the deceased’s father, Muhammad Amin, and her uncle.

A medical team examined and declared the convict medically fit before he was hanged. Following the execution, his body was handed over to his legal heirs for burial.

The DPO Kasur said Imran’s body will not be taken to Kasur and buried at Lahore’s Nashtar Colony Kamahan graveyard owing to possible protests.

Speaking to the media, the deceased girl’s father Amin Ansari said he is satisfied as the murderer of her daughter has met his fate.

He said whoever will commit such felony will meet a similar fate, adding that such convicts be hanged publicly to ensure that such crimes don’t happen in future.

An Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) on October 12 issued death warrants for Imran Ali, a resident of Kasur, for raping and murdering the seven-year-old in January.

Imran Ali, who was the victim’s neighbour, was arrested on January 23 after his DNA sample matched the sample obtained from the crime scene following which he confessed raping at least nine girls including Zainab Ansari. Out of the seven rape and murder cases registered against Imran, the court has given its verdict in five.

In total, Ali has been sentenced to 21 counts of death, three life sentences and a cumulative 23 years in jail.

Kidnapped on January 4 and found from a garbage heap on January 9, Zainab’s autopsy report suggested that the minor was sexually assaulted before being strangulated to death.

The girl’s rape and murder had sparked widespread outrage across the country.