An Express News screen grab of murder convict Ikramul Haq
LAHORE: Ikramul Haq, an activist of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), was hanged at Kot Lakhpat Central Jail in Lahore on Saturday morning for his involvement in a sectarian killing in 2001, Express News reported.
The hanging brings to 19 the number of executions Pakistan has carried out since it lifted a six-year moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases following a school massacre last month.
Haq execution was cancelled but later reinstated after a court rejected a pardon from his victim's family, officials said.
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Haq had been sentenced to death by an anti-terror court in 2004 for killing a Shia three years earlier.
Police, prison officials and defence lawyer Ghulam Mustafa Mangan confirmed the execution.
The victim's family had pardoned him on January 8 just before his scheduled hanging, but a court later rejected the compromise.
"The victim's family had pardoned my client, but the court rejected it and while we were appealing against the decision, my client was hanged," Mangan told AFP.
Murder can be forgiven under Pakistani law in exchange for blood money, while rival militant groups may choose to pardon each others' convicted killers.
The United Nations, the European Union, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on Pakistan to re-impose its moratorium on the death penalty, which ran from 2008 until December 2014.
Rights campaigners say Pakistan overuses its anti-terror laws and courts to prosecute ordinary crimes.
There are also concerns that death row convicts from non-terror related cases could be executed.
Taliban gunmen stormed an army-run school in the northwestern city of Peshawar last month, killing 150 people, mostly children, in the country's deadliest ever militant attack.
In addition to ending its death penalty moratorium, Pakistan has since moved to set up military courts to try terror cases.
COMMENTS (25)
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Pakistan has to set example of Bangladesh and hit the root cause, start punishing mother of all Jamat e islami and its affiliates Taliban and Imran Khan.
I am an Ahmadi. My elder brother and nephew almost got killed in the twin mosques attack in Lahore which killed 95 of my community members, some very dear to me. Justice may require an eye for an eye. But the death punishment makes me very sad. It does not bring back my dear ones. It creates another sad family. We must find a way to move towards removing the enmity which wasn't there when we were kids and happily played together, Ahmadi, Sunni, and Shia. Each one thought of the other a bit odd but there was no hatred like that seems to exist today.
I am an Ahmadi. My elder brother and nephew almost got killed in the twin mosques attack in Lahore which killed 95 of my community members, some very dear to me. Justice may require an eye for an eye. But the death punishment makes me very sad. It does not bring back my dear ones. It creates another sad family. We must find a way to move towards removing the enmity which wasn't there when we were kids and happily played together, Ahmadi, Sunni, and Shia. Each one thought of the other a bit odd but there was no hatred like today.
Justice has been carried out. There is finally some hope for Pakistan.
Great. And there apparently no hanging to death to Sipah e Mohammad terrorists who also killed people of other sect.
I am surprised why these ruthless suicidal terrorists are afraid of death? That's what their aim was, no? To get killed after murdering innocent women, children, shoppers, teachers, clinical workers, shriners, non-combatant ethnic and religious minorities, government servants, duty bound police, security, army personnel. Smuggling drugs, weapons, bank robberies, kidnapping, extortion and target killing. They should bravely go toward the gallows. Maybe the luxury of the jail weakened them! Or maybe they are need outside for more killing and carnage!
the begining of new era ....
UN, Amnesty International, and other human rights organizations: No disrespect towards your humanitarian efforts but we have paid a very heavy price. Our social fabric has been broken by these monsters, so please leave us alone and let us handle the situation. You do it, you pay for it.
Death is not something to be celebrated but for people like this guy, I will celebrate. So I am glad that they are gone to visit their 72 virgins. Send the rest of the lot also, we had enough at their hands. Victims' families: please know it is a crime against the sate and not something between two individuals. So no pardons, and no forgiveness. Let them face the consequences
Justice should be done with all the terrorists equally, no matter if they belong to Al-Qaeda, Taliban, TTP, banned outfits, religious or any political party.
I am counting on my fingers that who had killed how many people and among those terrorists how many are hanged and how many are left behind to be hanged.
With each hanging in the country, people of Pakistan are coming out from fear slowly and gradually.
The day Mumtaz Qadri is hanged, Salman Taseer will get justice from the courts of Pakistan. Any sympathizer of Mumtaz Qadri should get arrested for supporting terrorism. Nobody has the right to take law into their own hands and based on their own interpretation of the law, executes anyone. Salman Taseer was a true martyr in my eyes who stood up for the minorities and helpless people. He was showing the true ugly face of our legal system which was passing judgements without realizing how it was being misused. Blasphemy law should be amended and whoever is found misusing it, should be jailed for life.
Pardon by the family is no reason for the state to abdicate its responsibilities terrorist must not be pardoned under any circumstances
@Rex Minor: The family of Nayar Abbas was threatened for death similar to Nayar Abbas. That was found by Intelligence. That is why the family pardoned the killer. It is different from Saudia here. That is kingdom. Anything can be arranged there under the Shelter of Islam. But here law is also used in Pakistan. Somehow.
We don't know which "Sharif" prevailed and forced courts to terminate this criminal but whosoever he may be, he has done a great service to Pakistan. Today, it has been proved that no criminal would be allowed to hide behind so called divine laws.
am glad that courts now know that terrorism is a crime against the state and no individual has the right to pardon, Well done Military Courts. it is your threat that Civil courts are now behaving.
why do you worry about mumtaz qadri but not for killers of model town incidents and perpetrators of death play in Karachi on daily basis, mumtaz qadri has taken law into his hand despite not justified but base is not deliberately sectarian, it is not a public killing, it is the killing of person committed crime punishable under law liable to be awarded death penalty, killing was due to anticipated nil apprehension and perceived fear of no punishment of a tycoon, should be punished not death
Sectarian elements should have no place in Pakistan. They are destroying the very fabric of our country.
It's plain wrong to allow blood money to get in the way of justice , especially for terrorist acts
so when is MUMTAZ QADRI going to be hanged??
@Rex Minor: you dont know the back ground story
Not eveneath in Saudi Arabia a person will receive death punishment for killing a peer, especially if the family of the victim pardons the perpatrator? Mr Sharif is directly responsible for the death of Mr Haq since he has lifted the moratorium on death penalty, which incidently should be under the jurisdiction of the Provincial assemplies.
Rex minor
Justice done !!!
@ET Get you facts together. So far 20 not 19 convicts have been hanged since the lifting of a moratorium on death penalty.
And why it took ET 3 hours to publish this story. Such good news should be shared in early morning.
Justice SEEN to have been done..........just as it should be.