Twenty men who were charged with killing Christian couple Shama and Shazad have been acquitted by an anti-terrorism court (ATC).

Hearing the case on March 24, the ATC maintained there were doubts about the involvement of the suspects in the lynching of the Christian couple. Giving them the benefit of doubt the court cleared them of the charges.

On November 4, 2014, a charged mob of around 1600 burnt Shahzad Masih and his wife Shama alive in a brick kiln in Kot Radha Kishan, Kasur where they used to work.

Shahzad, 26, and his 24-year-old wife who was five months pregnant, were falsely accused by local Muslims of tearing pages out of a Quran while disposing of rubbish. They were then attacked by local Muslims.

Initially, the police arrested prime suspect Yousaf Gujjar and three others who were accused of inciting the mob.