Mercy petition pending: Death row convict challenges black warrants

Karachi
The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the home department, interior ministry and others on a petition against issuance of a black warrant for a death row convict as his mercy petition was pending before the president.
Mohammad Saeed, along with co-accused Abdul Waseem, was sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court having found them guilty in murdering a retired police officer, Sadiq Hussain Shah, and his son, Abid Hussain Shah, in the Al-Falah area on February 22, 2001.
His appeal against conviction was dismissed by the High Court and Supreme Court, however, the apex court acquitted the Waseem for want of evidence.
Petitioner Shahid Awan submitted on Thursday that the ATC had issued black warrant for execution of Saeed on January 10 despite the pendency of his mercy petition before the president.
His counsel said that the government had also stayed the execution of Saulat Mirza due to political consideration although his appeals were dismissed by the court in 2001. The court was prayed to suspend the execution of black warrants till decision of the petition.
The division bench, headed by Mohammad Ali Mazhar, after preliminary hearing of the petitions issued notice to federal and provincial law officers, home secretary and interior ministry and called their comments by January 9.
The court also directed official of home department to appear in person on the next date of hearing.
NAB arrest govt official
The National Accountability Bureau has arrested an officer in-charge of the Badin Local Fund Audit Mohammad Akhlaq Sheikh in a corruption case.
According to the bureau, the accused, being officer in-charge, pre-audited bogus measurement of development schemes to allow illegal payments to the local contractors of the Town Municipal Administration (TMA) Talhar and caused loss of Rs 70 million in connivance with other co-accused persons.