Dead man walking: Punjab set to resume executions this week
Unofficial five-year moratorium on executions about to end.
According to sources a convict is scheduled to be hanged on September 3 and two on September 4. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
After five years of an unofficial moratorium on executions, the Kot Lakhpat Jail authorities have been given the go ahead to hang death row prisoners.
A prison teacher may be the first to be executed, The Express Tribune has learnt. His execution has been scheduled for August 21. Black warrants have been issued in this regard by the district and sessions judge in Islamabad.
Jail authorities have received black warrants for four prisoners on death row. Sources privy to the arrangements told The Express Tribune, on condition of anonymity, that a convict is scheduled to be hanged on September 3 and two on September 4. They said cases of convicts on death row at the jail were being forwarded to the sessions judges concerned for issuance of black warrants.
Zulfiqar Ali alias Dr Zulfiqar (son of Rasheed Khan), resident of Narowal, is scheduled to be executed on August 21. He was convicted of robbery and murder on September 14, 1999. Stay orders against his execution were granted by the president 13 times. The first such order was granted on October 6, 2008.
Jail sources said that Ali had taught other inmates at the Kot Lakhpat jail. He was known to have a Master’s degree in political science besides 11 diplomas, one of which had taken four years to complete. He had studied various disciplines including journalism, medicine and library sciences, and had won a gold medal and two silver medals during his incarceration.
He also taught other inmates, 12 of which had completed university degrees. Others had passed their intermediate and matriculation examinations, they said.
The second convict to be hanged is Tahir Bashir. He was convicted of murder on February 4, 2000. His appeal for mercy was rejected by the president on May 11, 2012. A black warrant against him had been issued on November 13, 2012, but the president granted a stay order on that. His conviction is now scheduled for September 3.
Malik Ashraf is scheduled to be hanged on September 4. An FIR had been registered against him for murder in 1996. He was accused of killing his wife Ruqayya Bibi, his maid Shehnaz and his grandson Muhammad Zaman. He was convicted on April 2, 2001 and his clemency appeal was rejected on July 11, 2012. He was first set to be executed on November 13, 2012, but was granted a stay order by the president.
Azhar Mahmood of Mandi Bahaudin is also scheduled to be executed on September 4.
According to Jail records, there are 55 prisoners on death row whose petitions for mercy have been rejected by the president.
There are 105 prisoners on death row whose appeals are still pending before the Supreme Court and appeals of 405 prisoners are pending before the High Courts.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2013.
After five years of an unofficial moratorium on executions, the Kot Lakhpat Jail authorities have been given the go ahead to hang death row prisoners.
A prison teacher may be the first to be executed, The Express Tribune has learnt. His execution has been scheduled for August 21. Black warrants have been issued in this regard by the district and sessions judge in Islamabad.
Jail authorities have received black warrants for four prisoners on death row. Sources privy to the arrangements told The Express Tribune, on condition of anonymity, that a convict is scheduled to be hanged on September 3 and two on September 4. They said cases of convicts on death row at the jail were being forwarded to the sessions judges concerned for issuance of black warrants.
Zulfiqar Ali alias Dr Zulfiqar (son of Rasheed Khan), resident of Narowal, is scheduled to be executed on August 21. He was convicted of robbery and murder on September 14, 1999. Stay orders against his execution were granted by the president 13 times. The first such order was granted on October 6, 2008.
Jail sources said that Ali had taught other inmates at the Kot Lakhpat jail. He was known to have a Master’s degree in political science besides 11 diplomas, one of which had taken four years to complete. He had studied various disciplines including journalism, medicine and library sciences, and had won a gold medal and two silver medals during his incarceration.
He also taught other inmates, 12 of which had completed university degrees. Others had passed their intermediate and matriculation examinations, they said.
The second convict to be hanged is Tahir Bashir. He was convicted of murder on February 4, 2000. His appeal for mercy was rejected by the president on May 11, 2012. A black warrant against him had been issued on November 13, 2012, but the president granted a stay order on that. His conviction is now scheduled for September 3.
Malik Ashraf is scheduled to be hanged on September 4. An FIR had been registered against him for murder in 1996. He was accused of killing his wife Ruqayya Bibi, his maid Shehnaz and his grandson Muhammad Zaman. He was convicted on April 2, 2001 and his clemency appeal was rejected on July 11, 2012. He was first set to be executed on November 13, 2012, but was granted a stay order by the president.
Azhar Mahmood of Mandi Bahaudin is also scheduled to be executed on September 4.
According to Jail records, there are 55 prisoners on death row whose petitions for mercy have been rejected by the president.
There are 105 prisoners on death row whose appeals are still pending before the Supreme Court and appeals of 405 prisoners are pending before the High Courts.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2013.