RAWALPINDI: A sessions court in Rawalpindi on Tuesday sentenced three men, including the main accused Farrukh Khokhar, to life imprisonment after convicting them in the 2022 murder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist and social worker Majid Satti.
The verdict was announced by Additional District and Sessions Judge Afshan Ijaz Sufi at the Judicial Complex in Rawalpindi after the completion of trial proceedings.
The court awarded Farrukh Khokhar life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs1 million after finding him guilty of murdering Majid Satti. Two other accused were also sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the case. Meanwhile, another accused, Waseem, was acquitted after the court granted him the benefit of the doubt due to insufficient evidence.
Security was heightened in and around the Judicial Complex ahead of the verdict, with a heavy deployment of police personnel to maintain law and order. Family members of the victim and the accused, lawyers, and political supporters attended the hearing in large numbers.
Following the announcement of the judgment, the court ordered the immediate arrest of Farrukh Khokhar, who had been out on bail during the trial. Police officers took him into custody inside the courtroom, handcuffed him, and shifted him to the court lock-up before transferring him to Adiala Jail under tight security arrangements.
The case relates to the murder of PTI leader and social activist Majid Satti, who was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants on Sixth Road in Rawalpindi on August 22, 2022. A First Information Report (FIR) was subsequently registered at Sadiqabad Police Station, and an investigation was launched.
According to the prosecution, police investigations revealed that Majid Satti had been opposing an alleged attempt to illegally occupy a plot of land. Investigators concluded that he was targeted and killed because he had become an obstacle to the alleged land-grabbing operation.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence linking the accused to the murder. Farrukh Khokhar, identified as the principal convict, was described by prosecutors as a former member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) who later joined the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI). He is also the son of Rawalpindi-based political figure Taji Khokhar, who has previously faced allegations related to illegal land occupation.
Following the verdict, Majid Satti’s family and their legal representatives expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, stating that justice had finally been delivered after a lengthy legal process.
The judgment marks a significant development in one of Rawalpindi’s high-profile political murder cases and brings to a close nearly four years of legal proceedings.
