Pakistani Court Upholds Death Sentences for Chhotu Gang Members

A Pakistani court upheld death sentences of 14 members of the Chhotu gang, including leader Ghulam Rasool. The Anti-Terrorism Court originally sentenced 20 gang members for killing six policemen in 2016. The Lahore High Court’s Multan bench decided the appeals after five years, acquitting six others.

In a significant judicial decision, a Pakistani court on Thursday upheld the death sentences of 14 members of the notorious Chhotu gang in Punjab province.

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) initially sentenced 20 gang members to death in 2019, for their involvement in the brutal killing of six policemen in the Rajanpur Kutcha area in 2016.

According to a court official, the Lahore High Court's Multan bench confirmed the death sentences of 14 outlaws on 18 counts while acquitting six others due to lack of evidence. Among those sentenced is Ghulam Rasool, also known as Chhotu, the gang's ringleader.

The official stated that the Lahore High Court resolved the convicts' appeals against the ATC's decision after a five-year-long process.

In 2016, police launched an operation against the Chhotu gang in Rajanpur district but faced fierce resistance. During the confrontation, six policemen were killed, eight were injured, and 24 were taken hostage.

Recently, the gangsters further escalated violence by killing 12 policemen and injuring seven. Despite this, the Punjab government under Maryam Nawaz has yet to initiate a decisive operation to eradicate the gang.

(With inputs from agencies.)