A district and sessions court in Islamabad awarded on Saturday 25-year rigorous imprisonment to a man for killing a Christian girl who had refused his marriage proposal.

“The accused Shahzad alias Shani is convicted and sentenced with imprisonment for a term of 25 years,” said the order which was issued after District and Sessions Court judge Azam Khan announced the reserved verdict in the case. “He is directed to pay Rs10,00,000/- (Ten lacs) as compensation to the legal heir of the deceased Sonia Bibi.”

In case of non-payment of the compensation amount, the court stated that it shall be realised as arrears of land revenue.

Assistant District Prosecutor Hassan Abbas conducted the prosecution on behalf of the state. He was also a prosecutor in the high-profile cases pertaining to Noor Muqadam and Usman Mirza.

The case was registered at the Rawal Police Station in Islamabad on November 30, 2020, against the prime suspect, Shahzad. He had killed Sonia, 24, after she rejected his marriage proposal.

Read: Father of Noor Mukadam wants speedy trial of case against convict

He had sent his family to the victim’s house with the proposal, but the latter’s family rejected it because of the religious difference as they are Christian.

The convict had threatened the girl for three to four months before killing her. He gunned down the girl on November 30 after chasing her.

On Saturday, the court order stated that in case of the non-realisation of said amount the convict would have to undergo six months.

The court also added that the clothes of the deceased be handed over to the legal heirs of the deceased while the weapon, pistol, be disposed of after a period of appeal or revision, if any.

“The accused Shahzad alias Shani is in jail, he sent back to jail to serve the sentence awarded, and jail superintendent be informed accordingly,” it said.