Man who abducted, raped and killed 8-year-old girl handed four additional death penalty for rape, murder of three other minors

A 24-year-old man, on death row for the rape and murder of eight-year-old Zainab Ansari in Pakistan earlier this year, has been given death penalty on five more counts for the rape and murder of three other girls.

Zainab was abducted, raped and murdered in Kasur earlier this year. Her body was found at a garbage pile along a road on January 9.

The sentence was announced by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in a trial conducted by Judge Sajjad Ahmed inside the KothLakhpat jail on Monday.

Imran Ali, a resident of Kasur city, was involved in at least nine incidents of rape-cum-murder of minors, including Zainab, which he had confessed to during her murder investigation.

Ali was also ordered to pay a massive fine. His failure to pay the fine will result in an additional six months of imprisonment, the court said.

On Saturday, he was given death sentence on 12 counts for the rape and murder of three other minor girls. The court reserved verdict in three other rape and murder cases... Aiba Umar,  Batool and Ayeesha Asif.

Zainab's rape and murder had sparked outrage and protests across the country. The girl went missing on January 4 and was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on January 9.

The government had declared Ali's arrest on January 23. He was given death sentence for Zainab's rape and murder in February.

He challenged it but the apex court rejected his appeal on June 12, saying that the petitioner had admitted committing similar offences with eight other minor victims.

Ali still has the right to seek clemency from President Mamnoon Hussain.

According to Prosecutor Abdul Rauf Watoo, Imran took lives of many young girls after sexually assaulting them.

He kidnapped 12-year-old Ayesha Asif from Kasur B Division and assaulted her in an under construction building before taking her life.

On February 24, 2017, Imran kidnapped four-year-old Eman Fatima from a park,  assaulted her before killing her.

He also kidnapped seven-year-old Noor Fatima on April 11, 2017 from Kasur Ameen Town and assaulted her in under construction building before killing her.

On July 8, 2017, he further kidnapped eight year old Laiba Umer from Basti Khadimabad and assaulted her in under construction building before taking her life.

In addition to these murders,  Imran kidnapped eight year old Noreen from Hayatabab on July 9, and killed her after the assault near Mori Gate.

In November 2017, Imran kidnapped six year old Kainat Batool from Kasur Garden and raped her overnight before dumping her,  what he thought was her dead body. However,  Kainat survived but still remains in critical condition to this day and is under treatment.