SHC stays executions of two death row convicts till 6th

Karachi
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday suspended the implementation of the black warrants of two death row convicts till March 6 to enable the convicts to approach an anti-terrorism court after the their parents said the family of a man their sons had killed during a robbery in 1998 had pardoned them.
The anti-terrorism court had issued the black warrants for the exaction of Mohammad Faisal and Mohammad Afzal on March 5.
The two were sentenced to death for killing a man during a robbery in Korangi in 1998. Their parents said in a petition that the legal heirs of the victim had pardoned their sons despite the issuance of the black warrants.
They contended that since the convicts had been pardoned they could not be executed, and requested the court to suspend the implantation of the black warrants.
The death sentences had been confirmed by the SHC and later upheld by the Supreme Court. Recently, President Mamnoon Hussain had also rejected their mercy appeals, following which the prison authorities had got the black warrants issued from a trial court for their executions.
The SHC observed that since it had already dismissed the appeals of both convicts against their sentences and its decision was also upheld by the apex court, it could not pass any judgment on the compromise plea moved by the parties.
The petitioners’ counsel, Ali Gohar and Mohammad Zafar Ahmed, said they would not press the petitions, but requested the judges to permit the victim’s family to approach the trial court so that they could peruse their case. They requested that in the meantime the execution of the black warrants be suspended.
Dismissing the petitions, the high court suspended the operation of the black warrants till March 6, observing that the petitioners may file an application with a trial court.
The federal government lifted a moratorium on executions in terror cases in December after Taliban gunmen massacred more than 150 people at a school.
The country amended its constitution and set up military courts last month for speedy trial of terrorism cases.
Twenty-four people have been executed since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the six-year moratorium on the death penalty in the wake of the December Taliban school carnage in Peshawar.
Two convicts associated with a banned militant outfit were hanged at the Karachi Central Jail on February 3. They were found guilty of killing a doctor in the Soldier Bazaar area in June 2001.
Mohammed Azam alias Sharif and Attaullah alias Qasim were sentenced to death in 2004 for the murder of Dr Ali Raza in June 2001 by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi had sentenced them to death.
Both the convicts were moved to Sukkur jail from where they were brought to Karachi after an ATC on January 19 issued their black warrants.
Strict security arrangements were made at the central jail for the last couple of days where police, Rangers and army personnel were deployed to thwart any terrorist attack. All the roads leading to the jail were closed for vehicular traffic from Monday night by law enforcing agencies while patrolling in and around the jail had been intensified, jail officials said.
Bodies of both the militants were handed over to their relatives after medico-legal formalities.