Raw agent handed death sentence twice for Kashmiri commander’s assassination

ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Tuesday sentenced the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent to death twice for the murder of former Kashmiri commander Bashir Ahmed Wani.

Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Tahir Abbas Supra also handed over imprisonment ranging from 35 to 40 years to five other convicts for their involvement in the murder of Bashir Wani.

It is pertinent to mention that in February 2023, a former Kashmiri commander Bashir Ahmed Wani was shot dead by unknown motorcyclists in Burma Town, a suburb of Islamabad.

Following the incident, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Police arrested six individuals and charged them with anti-terrorism, murder, and various other sections.

Over the solid evidence against the accused, the court sentenced the main accused Shahzeb alias Zebi, an agent of the Indian intelligence agency RAW, to death twice for terrorism and murder.

Prosecutor Raja Naveed told the court with documentary evidence that the main accused Shahzeb, Moeez Ahmed, and Faizan Kayani used to receive funding from RAW for terrorism.

The court sentenced accused Moiz Ahmed and Faizan Kayani to a total of 40 years and 9 months in prison, while Mehran Younis, Noman Sattar, and Arsalan Wajid were sentenced to 35 years and 9 months in prison.

Bashir Ahmed, 60, was considered a top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, a separate movement operating in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and a close associate of Supreme Commander Syed Salahuddin.