Pakistani Al-Qaeda Operative Receives 33-Year Sentence

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan sentenced Junaid Ashraf, an Al-Qaeda operative, to 33 years in prison for planning a terrorist attack in Punjab province. Arrested last year, Ashraf had explosives and received instructions from Afghanistan. The court also fined him PKR 5,000.

An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced Junaid Ashraf, an Al-Qaeda operative, to 33 years imprisonment for attempting to orchestrate a terror attack in Punjab's bustling marketplace.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) disclosed that Ashraf was arrested in Sahiwal district on a tip-off in October last year, where significant explosive materials were recovered from his possession.

The convicted terrorist, who hailed from Sindh province, received instructions for the planned attack from accomplices in Afghanistan, according to the CTD. In addition to the prison term, Ashraf was fined PKR 5,000 by the court.

(With inputs from agencies.)