LHC Halts Execution Of Death Row Convict

AFP FILE --

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday halted the execution of a death row convict named Faiz Ahmad.

A two-member member bench of the LHC headed by Justice Abdus Sami Khan and including Justice Sardar Tariq Masood stopped the execution in response to a petition filed by Ahmad's counsel Abdul Khaliq.

Khaliq had submitted an application in the LHC, saying his client's appeal against the death sentence was pending in the Supreme Court since 2009 and therefore his death warrant must be set aside by the court.

Earlier on Dec 24, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had issued Ahmad's death warrant on an application filed by a superintendent of Faisalabad jail. The date for Ahmad's hanging was set for January 14.

The superintendent had stated that condemned prisoner Ahmad was awarded the death penalty in 2006 for killing Lance Naik Tariq Mahmood in Nankana Sahib.

The court halted the execution today and said the ATC must submit an application in the LHC clarifying as to why a death warrant was issued for his execution on Dec 24 when his appeal has been pending with the apex court since 2009.

So far seven convicts have been hanged since the lifting of a moratorium on death penalty by the government after the Peshawar school carnage.

On Dec 17, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had lifted the moratorium on death penalty after the attack on Peshawar's Army Public School that killed more than 140 people — including 134 school children.

The moratorium was imposed by former president Asif Ali Zardari during the tenure of the Pakistan Peoples Party government.

Asif Zardari warns against implications of military courts

EX President: Asif Ali Zardari

NAUDERO: Former president and Co-chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Zardari Saturday warned that under the new law of military courts one cannot rule out the possibility of both him and Prime Minister Nawaz ending up behind bars.

Addressing a big gathering on the occasion of the death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto here, Asif Zardari said it must be ensured that the law of military courts does not take the shape of a ‘black law’ in future.

The PPP Co-chairman said: “We will accept the new law after it is ensured that tomorrow it will not used against any democratic party, scholar or journalist.”

He said from Zia era till today he and his party had always stood against all kinds of atrocities. “No terrorist can scare us under any situation and we will wage a war for the cause of protecting our rights,” he vowed.

Zardari said the last time this law was enacted the result was that ‘we were all in jails’.

He once again dispelled the impression that there was some kind of misunderstanding going on between him and the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He said Benazir Bhutto had stressed upon separation of Kashmir and Afghan jihad. “However, those with narrow vission, linked the two and weakened the cause of Kashmir,” he added.

He said the opponents had spread all kinds of rumours against his party and clarified that Makhdoom Amin Fahim had neither committed treachery in the past nor would he do so in future.

Without naming anyone, Asif Zardari said the ‘Tom Cat’ has been spending his days at home under bail but actively engaged in doing politics.