An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday sentenced an Islamic zealot to death for shooting dead Punjab social welfare minister Zil-e-Huma Usman, officials said. Muhammad Sarwar was convicted and sentenced at the court in Gujranwala a month after he gunned down Zil-e-Huma at a public meeting. Her killing shocked a country inured to a high level of violence against women. “Judge Tariq Iftikhar has sentenced Sarwar to death on two counts, one for the murder of Zil-e-Huma and the other for spreading terrorism by the action,” court official Amjad Ali told AFP. Muhammad Sarwar was also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 200,000, he added. | Police have said Sarwar, a father of nine who was educated at a madrassa, was earlier arrested in 2003 after confessing to murdering four prostitutes, but was let off due to lack of evidence. |
The bearded 40-year-old Sarwar did not react when the judge read out the sentence. He was taken away by police under heavy security. It was not immediately clear whether Sarwar would appeal. He had pleaded not guilty at the start of his month-long trial. Muhammad Sarwar told police after the murder on February 20 that he killed Zil-e-Huma because she was not wearing an Islamic dress including a veil and that he opposed the involvement of women in politics. Police have said Sarwar, a father of nine who was educated at a madrassa, was earlier arrested in 2003 after confessing to murdering four prostitutes, but was let off due to lack of evidence.