Abbottabad’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has handed over death sentences to two accused of a terrorist attack on a bus carrying Chinese engineers working at Dasu Hydropower Project.

ATC sentenced the accused Muhammad Hussain alias Zawan and Muhammad Ayaz alias Janbaz and awarded each the death penalty on 13 counts for the crime under section 302 PPC (on 13 counts) and 7(A) ATA. The court also imposed a Rs1.5 million fine on each of the convicts.

The ATC also awarded 10-year imprisonment for each convict for attempt to murder under Section 324 PPC, two-year imprisonment under Section 337 PPC, two-year imprisonment under Section 427 PPC, and a fine of Rs1 million.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Police Hazara Region Zeeshan Asghar said that the court also imposed a Rs40 million fine on both proven terrorists, besides awarding them a total of around 800 years of imprisonment with life imprisonment.

He said that after the Dasu terrorist incident a case was registered against the unknown accused in Police Station CTD Hazara Region; a JIT was formed in the case and the investigation started in the light of the evidence available on the spot.

DIG disclosed that the video of the Honda car used in the suicide attack was obtained from the CCTV cameras which found a red sticker of the Chaman 2 showroom on the front number plate of the said car which could not be read by the naked eye.

Meanwhile, the court also declared four other accused, including Shaukat Ali, Anwar Ali, and Fazal Hadi, as proclaimed offenders. There are reports of presence of all four accused in Afghanistan.

After the verdict, the court issued permanent arrest warrants against the fugitive accused under Section 204 of the IPC, and efforts are underway to arrest them as soon as possible. They will be arrested and brought to justice.

In July 2021, 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals working on the Dasu Hydropower Project, were killed when a bus carrying them fell into a ravine following an explosion.

“Verdict demonstrates Pakistan’s abiding commitment to counterterrorism”

The Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the proactive investigation, prosecution, and the judgement in Dasu terrorist attack case demonstrated the country’s abiding commitment to counterterrorism.

“We have noted the judgment passed by the relevant Court and details released by the local police. While specific queries may be directed to the relevant authorities, the proactive investigation, prosecution and judgment in this case have once again demonstrated Pakistan’s abiding commitment to counterterrorism,” the spokesperson said.

“We again extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and remain committed to the safety and security of Chinese workers, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” she said and added that the ironclad Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership would never be undermined by hostile forces.

With inputs from APP