Death for two, life terms for four in Geo reporter's murder
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 1 March 2014
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An anti-terrorist court in Kandhkot has sentenced two men to death and four others to life imprisonment for the murder of journalist Wali Khan Babar. This decision represents a significant legal precedent in Pakistan's efforts to achieve justice for murdered journalists.Summary
SHIKARPUR: More than three years after Geo Television journalist Wali Khan Babar was gunned down, an anti-terrorist court Saturday awarded death penalty to two and life terms to four others.
According to thenews.com.pk, proclaimed offenders Kamran alias Zeeshan and Faisal Mota were sentenced to death while Faisal Mehmood alias Nafsiyati, Naveed alias Polka, Muhammad Ali Rizvi and Shah Rukh alias Mani were given life terms.
The court in Kandhkot acquitted accused Shakeel for lack of evidence.
The decision marks the first time that a journalist's killers have been brought to justice in Pakistan.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 53 journalists have been killed in Pakistan since 1992.
Wali Khan Babar was killed in Karachi's Liaquatabad neighborhood on January 13, 2011 as he headed home from work.
The case became highly sensitive when six people linked with it including a witness and a lawyer were killed one after the other.
KEY POINTS:
- Two sentenced to death for Wali Khan Babar's murder
- Four receive life sentences
- Court acquits accused Shakeel due to lack of evidence
- First successful prosecution of a journalist's killers in Pakistan
- 53 journalists killed in Pakistan since 1992
