The Multan Anti Terrorism Court sentenced Qari Omar Hayat, an activist of the banned organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, to death on sixteen counts of murder on Tuesday. Hayat was arrested for killing 16 Shias while they were listening to a sermon in a mosque in Muzaffargarh on January 4, 1999. The court also fined the convict Rs 4.8 million. The terrorist's 11 co-accused were acquitted of the charges against them because the prosecution failed to prove their involvement. Four other accused, Ijaz alias Jajji, Tariq Mehmood alias Tipu, Tauheed Ahmed and Habibullah were killed in a gun-battle with police officials. Public prosecutor Najaf Ali said the state would challenge the men's acquittal in the high court.