Islamabad: A Pakistan court on Saturday sentenced to death a 24-year-old man found guilty of raping and murdering six-year-old Zainab Amin in Kasur. According to media accounts, the court also awarded life sentence, along with a Rs 1 million fine to Imran Ali for sodomy and another 7-year jail sentence and Rs 10 lakh fine for concealing the body in a trash heap, Zainab's rape and murder last month had sparked outrage and protests across Pakistan.
The heinous nature of the crime, evoked riots in Kasur, in which two people were killed. A campaign--#JusticeforZainab-- was launched on social media to end violence against children.The verdict was announced at Lahore's Central Jail in Kot Lakhpat.Prosecutor General Ehtesham Qadir, addressing the media after the sentencing, said Imran Ali had confessed to the crime.
Affirming that this was "the first case to examine scientific evidence" in a crime of this nature, prosecution had presented at least 56 witnesses against Imran Ali in addition to forensic evidence, including DNA and polygraph tests.Ali now has 15 days to file an appeal.The girl's father, Haji Muhammad Amin, witnessed the verdict.Zainab Amin, who went missing on January 4, was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur five days later. Police zeroed in on Imran Ali through CCTV footage. (UNI)