No confirmation on Mullah Fazlullah's death: Nisar

Interior minister says that FIA will inquire into Shafqat Hussain's age


Zahid Gishkori March 24, 2015
PHOTO: PID

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali said on Tuesday that the government has no knowledge of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Mullah Fazlullah’s death.

“There is no confirmation on the killing of Mullah Fazlullah,” he said, while addressing the media in Islamabad.

Express News quoted military sources late Saturday night saying the TTP chief was killed during the army's operation in Khyber Agency. However, there was no independent or official confirmation on the report, while the TTP also denied it.

Shafqat Hussain case

Meanwhile, during the press conference, the interior minister said that a team from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) would determine Shafqat Hussain’s age. This decision comes to light of President Mamnoon Hussain approval of a one-month extension of Shafqat’s death sentence.

“This is not a political issue, but an issue of life,” he said.

Related: Shafqat Hussain's execution formally halted for 30 days

“We also understand the issue of a how a seven-year-old was killed in 2004 and his parents’ lives are in danger in Karachi,” he added.

Regarding the prisoners released from the UK government, Nisar said that they had been arrested.

Shafqat was convicted of killing a seven-year-old boy in 2004, when he was allegedly 14 years old, prompting rights activists and civil society members to call for his death sentence to be revoked.

Related: Govt has suspended prisoner exchange agreements with all nations: Nisar

'Documents concerning MQM chief handed to UK'

Responding to a statement given by a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader, the interior minister confirmed that the documents he handed over to the British High Commissioner in Pakistan were of public record and related to MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s speech and threats he made to local law enforcement agencies.

“We will decide later whether we should handover a dossier regarding the MQM chief to the UK government or not,” he said.

After meeting the interior minister last week, the British high commissioner traveled to London to convey the government’s concerns regarding Altaf’s threats.

Saulat Mirza case

Regarding MQM target killer Saulat Mirza’s hanging, Nisar said that the interior ministry, through the prime minister’s office, sent a summary to the president seeking a 90-day extension of his execution. Saulat Mirza’s new execution date is April 1, 2015.

Related: Confession from death row: Saulat Mirza says he killed KESC chief on Altaf’s order

“It’s the president’s discretion either his execution would be extended or not,” he said.

 

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