ATC hands three death sentences to Dr Warren Weinstein kidnapper
Updated 37 minutes ago
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Abducted US national Dr Warren Weinstein had been kidnapped on 13th August 2011 from his home in Lahore by armed men. — File Photo
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LAHORE: A man accused of abducting US doctor Dr Warren Weinstein was handed three death sentences by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday.
The ATC also ordered the convict named Hafiz Imran alias Imran to submit a fine of Rs5 million before it.
Imran — the son of Mohammad Yousuf — is a resident of Gujranwala's Wazirabad district.
American national Dr Warren Weinstein was abducted from his residence in Lahore in 2011 by unknown attackers.
Weinstein had been in Pakistan for seven years and worked as the country director of Virginia-based development company J.E. Austin Associates. He went missing two days before he was due to end his term and return to the US. Said to be in his 60s, Mr Weinstein was dependent on a number of medicines, including some given to acute asthma patients.
During investigation, law enforcement agencies had apprehended two accused Saifur Rehman and Hafiz Imran who confessed their crime and were sent to judicial lock up.
In 2011, Al Qaeda’s chief Ayman Al Zahawari had claimed in a video statement that Weinstein was in their custody and his organisation was responsible for the kidnapping.
Take a look: Al Qaeda says it is holding US hostage in Pakistan
There were also some reports that Weinstein was being held in North Waziristan by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
In May 2012, Al Qaeda had also released a video of his as proof that he was alive. The initial video was followed by three more videos in September 2012 and in December.
The two arrested accused Saif and Imran also told investigators about two other accused Afzaal Hussain and Imran Ahmed’s involvement in the kidnapping.
Meanwhile, investigators received information that Afzaal Hussain was killed in an encounter with Mansehra police.
Later, local investigators had sent the challan of both arrested accused persons to an anti-terrorism court in Lahore, declaring them responsible for the crime. The challan also declared that the remaining two accused including Ayman Al Zahawari and Imran Ahmed were also proclaimed offenders.
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