Temporary respite: LHC stays execution of military court convict

The convict was sentenced to death by the Lahore military court under Pakistan Army Act, 2015 on January 4, 2016

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has stayed the execution of a man convicted by a military court on charges of playing a supporting role in an attack on the office of an intelligence agency in Multan.

On Tuesday, a division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Tariq Abbasi passed the order on the petition moved by Abdul Qayyum of Faisalabad.

The convict was sentenced to death by the Lahore military court under Pakistan Army (Amendment) Act, 2015 on January 4, 2016. His mercy petition has also been rejected by the army chief.

Representing the petitioner, Advocate Anas Ghazi argued the petitioner was not given an opportunity of a fair trial and he was condemned unheard. The requisites of justice were not fulfilled by the military court while holding the trial, he contended.

The lawyer claimed an anti-terrorism court in Multan had already convicted the attackers of the 2009 attack on ISI’s office and the petitioner was not among the suspects. He asked the bench to stay the execution of the petitioner till the final decision on the plea.

In its written reply, Punjab Home Department stated a jail appeal of Abdul was dismissed by advocate general’s office on March 22, 2016. Another LHC division bench (Bahawalpur seat) had also dismissed an identical petition on the same matter, it said, adding Abdul’s petition should, therefore, be dismissed as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2017.