Benazir shah, University in Peshawar, Pakistan

A Pakistan anti-terrorism court has sentenced two men, said to be associated with the Islamic State (IS) terror group, to death in a case pertaining to the 2017 suicide blast at a shrine in Sindh province that killed around 70 people.On Monday, the judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court-XVI found the two men, Nadir Ali and Furqan, guilty of facilitating suicide bomber Barar Brohi who on February 16, 2017 blew himself up at the packed-to-capacity courtyard of the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan, reports Dawn news.The court handed them capital punishment on 70 counts (for killing of 70 victims) and ordered to pay a collective fine of 14 million PKR each to the state.It also ordered the convicts to pay a collective fine of 14 million PKR, as compensation to the legal heirs of victims.The judge also awarded 10-year imprisonment to each convict for also injuring 65 people. They were ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 PKR for causing wounding each victim.Additionally, the convicts were awarded a collective sentence of 24-years each for their involvement in the bomb blast and ordered to pay 100,000 PKR fine each, said the Dawn news report.Nadir Ali was further given life imprisonment for possessing explosives in addition to seven-year imprisonment for possessing illicit weapons and a 50,000 PKR fine.However, their death sentences were subject to confirmation by the Sindh High Court.Other sentences of imprisonment would run concurrently.The case against five alleged absconding accomplices was kept on dormant file until their arrest or surrender.The court ordered protection of two private witnesses, who voluntarily turned up to testify against the convicts, during the trial leading to their conviction.The prosecution recorded testimonies of 29 witnesses, including police officials, who deposed that minutes before the blast three men hugged the suicide bomber and congratulated him on the premises of the shrine before leaving.( With inputs from IANS )

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