Pakistan: Zainab's rapist to be hanged tomorrow; appeal for public execution rejected

The girl’s father Amin Ansari had appealed for the public hanging of the murderer Imran Ali. A two-member bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) however told him that the appeal was made very late.

Rapist and murderer of Zainab Ansari had admitted being involved in nine incidents of raping and killing minor girls, Pak media reports said.

New Delhi: Imran Ali, the murderer and rapist of the six-year-old Pakistani girl Zainab Ansari, will be hanged till death on Wednesday (October 17). An appeal for the public hanging of Ali was dismissed by the Lahore High Court on Tuesday. The girl’s father Amin Ansari had appealed for the public hanging of the murderer Imran Ali. A two-member bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) however told him that the appeal was made very late. During the hearing, Amin Ansari’s lawyer argued that Imran Ali can be executed in public under Section 22 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 of Pakistan, but the bench responded that only the government has the authority to order a public execution under Section 22.reported Daily Pakistan. The portal quoted Justice Shamim as saying “You have come here so late. The date of the hanging has been fixed for tomorrow [Oct 17].” Ansari’s lawyer then requested the court to allow a live telecast of hanging inside the jail, which was again dismissed by the bench. Six-year-old Zainab was kidnapped from near her relative’s house in Kasur on January 4 and was found dead in a garbage dump after five days. Imran Ali who was nabbed on January 23, was accused of being involved in at least nine incidents of rape and murder of minors., which he confessed during the probe of Zainab’s murder. He was sentenced to death four times by the anti-terrorism court (ATC) which was hearing the high-profile case sentenced Imran to death four times. As per reports, Ali has been sentenced to 21 counts of death, three life sentences and a cumulative 23 years in jail, in total.