Russia reacts to execution of its citizen involved in Musharraf attack
Russia says it repeatedly urged Pakistani authorities to reconsider Akhlaque Ahmed's sentence
ISLAMABAD:
Hours after the execution of its citizen, Akhlaque Ahmed, at a district jail in Faisalabad, Russia on Sunday said it repeatedly urged Pakistani authorities to reconsider his sentence.
Akhlaque, a Russian citizen and a Pakistani national, was among the four convicts involved in an attack on former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who were hanged earlier today.
Akhlaque was given death penalty by a military court in 2005. However, his execution was not carried out due to a moratorium on death penalty since 2008.
A few days ago, the ban on capital punishment was lifted in the wake of a barbaric attack on an army-run school in Peshawar that left at least 148 people, including 132 children dead.
A statement issued in Islamabad by the Russian Embassy said the Russian side had repeatedly approached the Pakistani authorities with a plea to reconsider the sentence of Akhlaque on humanitarian grounds.
“The Russian Embassy in Islamabad and the Russian citizen’s lawyers were making efforts to postpone carrying out the sentence,” the statement added.
The statement noted that according to the information from the Ministry of Interior, Akhalque along with his three accomplices were executed in Faisalabad.
Hours after the execution of its citizen, Akhlaque Ahmed, at a district jail in Faisalabad, Russia on Sunday said it repeatedly urged Pakistani authorities to reconsider his sentence.
Akhlaque, a Russian citizen and a Pakistani national, was among the four convicts involved in an attack on former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who were hanged earlier today.
Akhlaque was given death penalty by a military court in 2005. However, his execution was not carried out due to a moratorium on death penalty since 2008.
A few days ago, the ban on capital punishment was lifted in the wake of a barbaric attack on an army-run school in Peshawar that left at least 148 people, including 132 children dead.
A statement issued in Islamabad by the Russian Embassy said the Russian side had repeatedly approached the Pakistani authorities with a plea to reconsider the sentence of Akhlaque on humanitarian grounds.
“The Russian Embassy in Islamabad and the Russian citizen’s lawyers were making efforts to postpone carrying out the sentence,” the statement added.
The statement noted that according to the information from the Ministry of Interior, Akhalque along with his three accomplices were executed in Faisalabad.