Death sentence for 7-year-old Pakistan girl's rapist-murderer

Lahore: An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Saturday sentenced to death a serial killer for the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl that sparked national outrage, the first ever trial in the country's history that concluded in shortest period of four days. Announcing the verdict at the Kot Lakhpat Jail here at in-camera trial amid high security, ATC judge Sajjad Hussain handed down the death sentence to 23-year-old Imran Ali on four grounds murdering a child, kidnapping a child, rape of a minor, and committing an unnatural act with a minor.

Imran has also been sentenced to seven years in jail with a fine of Rs 1 million for desecrating the body of a minor. He was arrested in January, two weeks after he raped and killed the 7-year-old girl and threw her body into a garbage dump in Kasur city, some 50 kilometres from Lahore. The brutal rape and murder of the child had sparked outrage and protests across the country.

"The suspect had also confessed to the killing of eight other girls. He will be tried in these cases separately," said Prosecutor General Ehtesham Qadir, adding that this was the first ever trial in the history of Pakistan that concluded in four days.