LHC accepts plea seeking public execution of Zainab’s murderer

LAHORE (92 News) – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday accepted a plea seeking to publicly hang Imran, convicted of the rape and murder of seven-year-old Zainab. The petition was filed earlier by Zainab's father Haji Ameen. The provincial home secretary, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Amjad Javed Saleemi, and convict Imran have been made respondents to the plea. A two-member bench of the high court, including Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi and Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan heard the petition. The legal counsel of Zainab's father Ishtiaq Chaudhry, in his appeal to the LHC for the public execution of Imran, maintained the stance that the convict is a serial killer. Addressing the bench, Zainab's father said that the murderer of Zainab should be given exemplary punishment to stop such incidents in future. “I hope the president will protect the national interest and allow Imran’s public execution,” Haji Ameen said. The LHC then issued a notice to the Punjab home secretary to appear before the court on October 16 (tomorrow).