KARACHI, 1 July 2003 — A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced three militants to death yesterday for organizing a suicide bomb attack that killed 11 French naval technicians in the port city of Karachi last year. A car packed with explosives blew up outside the Sheraton Hotel in Karachi on May 8 last year, killing the Frenchmen, who were helping Pakistan build submarines. Three Pakistanis, including the bomber, also died.

In terms of foreign casualties, it was the worst of a series of attacks on Western and Christian targets in Pakistan last year blamed on militant groups angered by Pakistan’s decision to back the US-led war against Afghanistan.

Security was tightened in Karachi and a number of politicians were alerted against possible reprisals following the court verdict. However, political leaders, including those opposed to American intervention in Afghanistan kept an indiscreet silence on the verdict. But officials said they had to be cautious with their security arrangement against possible reprisals by the militants.

Islamabad has been under increasing pressure from Washington and its Western allies to act against such groups and says it has arrested hundreds of militants since 2001.

Two of the men convicted, Asif Zaheer and Rizwan Ahmed Bashir, appeared for the sentencing at Karachi’s Central Prison.

A third man, Mohammad Sohail, who is on the run, was sentenced to death in absentia. Zaheer, the ringleader of the group, and Bashir had pleaded innocent to charges of murder, terrorism, possession of explosives and conspiracy.

Judge Feroze Mahmood Bhatti said he found the men guilty of planning the attack, which also wounded 23 people, and of the other charges. “Therefore the court gives them the death sentence,” he said. A fourth man, Adnan Qamar, was acquitted in absentia.

Outside the prison, relatives of the men wailed and cried. Bashir’s grandmother Afroze Begum said her grandson was given the death sentence simply to please the United States. “He is innocent,” she cried, wearing a veiled garment.

“My son is innocent,” Zaheer’s mother shouted. “This (trial) was all done to please America. My son is innocent, my son is a jihadi (holy warrior) as is the duty of Islam and he has done no crime.”

(Additional inputs from agencies)