ISLAMABAD   -  Anti-Terrorism Court - II Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra awarded 16 years imprisonment to Bakht Shereen and Jan Alam on 3 charges on Monday for sending threatening letters to CEO, The Millennium Universal College (TMUC) Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq for extortion on behalf of Proscribed Organization, Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Afghanistan Group. Application was filed by Abid Younis, Manager, TMUC on July 2nd, 2021 where four threatening letters were exhibited from March till June in which TTP Afghanistan Group stated that there is no Islamic Fiqh in their curriculum and young generation has been indulged in western culture which is misleading the young generation. Mission of TTP is to quit western culture.

The first letter dated 18-03-2021 told TMUC administration to stop teaching western syllabus in 15 days and pay Rs 300 million as extortion money in 30 days else all the staff will be killed, thrown acid and suicide bombers will attack their buildings.  Second letter was received by the administration on 31-03-2021 in which they were told to pay Rs 300 million in 15 days. Third letter was posted at TMUC on 26-05-2021 in which Rs 150 million were demanded and Rs 50 million were demanded on 08-06-2021 by TTP Afghanistan Group.

Three accused Bakht Shereen, Jan Alam, and Muhammad Ali were arrested by Law Enforcement Agencies in late 2021. Muhammad Ali was acquitted on 06-05-2023. Bakht Shereen and Jan Alam were charged on 23-11-2021 under Section 507, 387, 34 PPC read with section 7 of ATA, 1997. According to the judgment, letters were sent to National Forensic Science Agency (NFSA), Islamabad. The Diaries, note pads, registers and specimen of both the accused were taken into police posession and were got compared by NFSA. Moreover, one of the letter dispatched to TMUC was sent from Saido Shareef, GPO, Swat and both of the accused are also permanent residents of Swat. Bakht Shereen was traced through CCTV footage of TCS office where he sent another letter to a pharmacist and hotel owner Muhammad Ashraf Wattoo, close to TMUC building. He demanded Rs10 million ransom from Mr Wattoo on the name of TTP Afghanistan Group.

Prosecutor Raja Naveed Hussain represented state in the trial and 12 prosecution witnesses were presented by the state. Call data record of both the accused was also obtained by LEAs which also supported the prosecution case. According to Judgment, prosecution has produced very strong and cogent evidence in order to bring home guilt of Bakht Shereen and Jan Alam. It further stated that both the accused jointly participated in the occurance actively and overtly.  Bakht Shereen and Jan Alam are convicted on three charges and awarded 7 years u/s 387 PPC, 07 years under ATA and 2 years u/s 507 PPC, however, according to the judgment, all the sentences awarded to both the convicts shall run concurrently.