Lahore, Oct 29 (PTI) A Pakistani court has sentenced four police officers to death for the killing of two teenage students in a staged encounter six years ago, a court official said on Tuesday.

The incident, in which two college students, Arsalan and Usman, both 19, were killed by police officials, occurred in Faisalabad, Punjab, about 130 km from Lahore, in 2018.

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"On Monday, Additional Sessions Judge Sajida Akhtar in Faisalabad sentenced four policemen to death on two counts and imposed a fine of PKR 1 million on each of them. The fine will be awarded to the victims' families as compensation," a court official told PTI on Tuesday.

The judge noted that the four officials—Asghar Ali, Falak Sher, Faisal, and Waqas—had killed the two innocent students after they failed to stop at a police checkpoint. The judge further remarked that the convicts did not deserve any leniency, as they had attempted to cover up their brutal crime.

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However, the court acquitted a fifth suspect, Assistant Sub-Inspector Javed Akhtar, due to a lack of evidence.

According to the prosecution, both students were heading home on a motorcycle after dining out. The police had set up a checkpoint in a dark area of Millat Town, and when the students did not stop, the officers opened fire, killing them instantly. The police later falsely claimed it was an encounter with robbers and even produced a fabricated criminal record for the students.

The victims' families tirelessly sought justice, and on Monday, they expressed their satisfaction at the court's decision.

Police encounters in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab, have long been viewed with suspicion, as in many cases, officers have been accused of killing detained criminals in staged encounters.

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