A model court on 07-July-2025 handed down a collective sentence of 32 years in prison to a man in a house robbery case.
Zakir Ahmed was found guilty of stealing 14 tola of gold jewellery, four mobile phones, over Rs1.3 million in cash, and cheques of over Rs2.2 million at gunpoint from a house in Machar Colony within the jurisdiction of the Docks police station on February 4, 2022.
Additional Sessions Judge Ameeruddin of the Model Criminal Trial Court (West) observed that the crime was committed with “extreme aggravation, involving the armed invasion of the complainant’s home, holding a 13-year-old child and a woman hostage at gunpoint, and looting substantial valuables.”
He added that the convict deserved no leniency because of “use of a deadly weapon to instill profound fear in vulnerable victims, coupled with the accused’s lack of remorse, deliberate planning, and failure to provide a credible defense.”
The judge sentenced the convict to rigorous life imprisonment for 25 years for offence punishable under the Section 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and seven-year imprisonment for the offence punishable under the Section 392 (robbery).
Both the sentences awarded to the convict shall run concurrently, the court said and ordered him to pay a fine of Rs50,000 or undergo additional six-month imprisonment on default. “The armed robbery was executed with chilling precision, reflecting meticulous planning and a callous disregard for the sanctity of the victims’ home,” the judge noted.
“The accused and his accomplices deliberately chose a time and place where resistance was unlikely, targeting a residence where a child and a woman were present, thereby exploiting their vulnerability. Such premeditation aggravates the offense, as it demonstrates a calculated intent to maximize harm and profit.”
The judge said that the targeting of a 13-year-old child and a woman as hostages underscored the accused’s moral bankruptcy. “These victims, inherently defenseless, were subjected to terror in what should have been the safety of their home. The violation of this sacred space and the trauma inflicted upon vulnerable individuals demand a robust judicial response to reflect the societal condemnation of such acts.”
According to the prosecution, the accused and his absconding accomplices stormed a house in Muhammadi Colony near Makan Hospital, Machar Colony, on February 4, 2022. They held a woman and her 13-year-old son hostage at gunpoint and took 14 tola of gold jewellery, four mobile phones, Rs1,345,000 in cash, and cheques worth over Rs2.2 million, which had been hidden in a false ceiling. They stuffed the looted cash and valuables along with a licensed 9mm pistol in the boy’s school bag and fled the scene, it said.
However, the defence counsel requested the court to show lienency and suggested that the period already served by the accused in custody be deemed sufficient. In his written order, the judge further noted that, “Armed robbery, particularly when executed with such audacity and cruelty, erodes public trust in the safety of their homes and communities. A lenient sentence risks undermining the deterrent effect of the law, potentially emboldening others to commit similar crimes. The judiciary has a duty to protect society by imposing punishments proportionate to the offense’s severity, ensuring that justice is both served and seen to be served.”
Published in News Daily on 08-July-2025.