Against military court’s order: SC issues notices over militant’s conviction

Aksan Mehboob’s counsel claims family not aware of the reasons behind the sentence

ISLAMABAD: The top court has issued notices to the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) and the Judge Advocate General (JAG) branch – the legal department of Pakistan Army – on the handing down of a death sentence by a military court to a young prisoner, Aksan Mehboob.

Convicted by a military court, Mehboob was one of the nine terrorists whose death sentence was ratified by army chief General Raheel Sharif on January 2.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Mehboob, son of Asghar Ali, was an active member of al Qaeda. He was involved in attacks on law-enforcement personnel and military installations which claimed several lives.

“He admitted to his offences before the magistrate and the trial court. He was tried on four charges and awarded the death sentence,” the ISPR had said.

The Supreme Court’s three-judge bench headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim on Friday took up the plea, wherein the death penalty of Mehboob was challenged.

Representing the convict’s family, Col (retd) Muhammad Akram argued that Mehboob’s family was unaware of the reasons for which he was handed down the death sentence.

Justice Amir Hani Muslim observed that those who take the lives of others should be hanged.  He also observed that the application was filed 38 days after expiry of the 30-day period.

The counsel responded that since the father of the convict lived in a far-flung area he there was a delay in the filing of the plea. After hearing the arguments, the bench issued notice to the AGP and the respondents and adjourned the hearing for one week.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2016.