The main suspect in the rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl was sentenced to death today by a Pakistani court in a case that caused shock in the country.
Imran Ali, 24, was found guilty of killing Zainab Fatia Amin, whose lifeless body was found in early January.
Little Zainab was the twelfth minor to be killed in the past two years within a 2km radius of the town of Kashmir, prompting authorities to speculate that a serial killer was operating in the area.
Ali, whose genetic material was found in both Zainab and six other victims, eventually confessed to eight murders.
The court sentenced him to four deaths: one for kidnapping the girl, another for rape, a third for murder and a fourth for "other terrorist offenses", Punjab District Attorney General Ihtesam Kadir told reporters.
The trial, which did not cover the other killings allegedly committed by Ali, was held behind closed doors at Lahore's Kot Lahpat prison for security reasons. Only the relatives of the victims were present in the room.
The court imposed several other sentences on Imran Ali, such as life sentences, as well as fines totaling 3,2 million rupees (about 24.000 euros).
"It was a fair trial," said Mian Sultan Massoud, the state's lawyer, who was appointed to the post after the former resigned. "The accused confessed to the crime. In this context, it was right that he was sentenced to death," he added.
Zainab's mother expressed her satisfaction. "I want him to be hanged in public at the place where he kidnapped the child," said Nusrat Bibi.