SC suspends two military court death sentences

Asma Jahangir alleges military authorities did not allow the accused to hire their counsels

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) stayed on Monday executions of two convicts who were earlier awarded death sentences by a military court in cases related to terrorism.

A two-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmad summoned the record of the trial of accused Haider Ali and Zahid Gul from the military court.



Former president of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Asma Jahangir appeared on behalf of both the accused. The top human rights lawyer requested the court to suspend the executions of both the accused, claiming the military authorities did not allow them to hire their counsels.

This is not the first time the top court has suspended the execution of convicts from the military courts. Earlier in October, the SC had suspended execution of a convict awarded death sentence by a military court.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan asked the applicant, Sabir Shah, to avail appeal forum before the military court under Army Act 1952.



Shah, believed to be a member of a proscribed organisation, was convicted for his suspected involvement in the sectarian killing of a lawyer, Syed Arshad Ali, in Lahore. Dr Khalid Ranjha, counsel of Laila Bibi, the mother of the convict, had challenged Sabir Shah’s death sentence, stating in her petition that her son was a juvenile and was not given the right to fair trial.

In April this year, the top court had stayed the execution of death sentences awarded by the military courts to six accused on charges of terrorism. The 17-judge full court, headed by the then chief justice Nasirul Mulk, while passing a short order over the SCBA’s plea said the execution of the military courts’ death sentences, those who have already been awarded and those who would be awarded, shall be suspended.



Noor Saeed, Haider Ali, Murad Khan, Inayatullah, Israruddin and Qari Zahir were awarded death sentences on April 2 by the military courts, formed under the 21st Constitutional Amendment and Pakistan Army Act 1952.