An additional district and sessions court sentenced prime accused Atif Zaman to death on two counts related to the 2019 murder of anchorperson Mureed Abbas and his friend Khizer Hayat.The court also ordered him to pay Rs500,000 each to the legal heirs of both victims as compensation.Co-accused Adil Zaman received perpetual arrest warrants due to being declared a proclaimed offender.Atif Zaman was additionally sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and fined Rs50,000 for possession of illegal weapons.The case was transferred from an anti-terrorism court to a sessions court in October 2019 after the ATC ruled it fell outside its jurisdiction.

Police had arrested Atif and his brother Adil in connection with the killing, which occurred in Karachi's Khayaban-e-Bukhari area on July 9, 2019.The verdict underscores legal proceedings against high-profile crimes and highlights the state's commitment to justice for victims' families.