Govt challenges LHC's stay against executions of 5 convicts
SHC declares death warrants of two convicts illegal; grants permission to transfer convicts from Sukkur to Karachi
LAHORE:
The federal government on Monday challenged a decision by the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC), which had temporarily halted execution of death sentences of five terrorists.
The application, filed by the Standing Counsel for Federal Government Chaudhry Masroof Advocate, alleges that lawyers representing the convicts have concealed facts.
He further contended through an application that all legal requirements were followed during the course of proceedings and the punishment was awarded to convicts on merit. He thus requested the court to withdraw the stay order.
The death row inmates had been arrested in July 2013 for killing seven army officials and a police constable in Jehlum in 2012.
Earlier in the day, LHC Rawalpindi bench had decided to suspend the execution of five prisoners convicted of terrorism, Express News reported.
According to Express News correspondent Qaiser Shirazi, the relatives of the five prisoners on death row had said the prisoners had not yet issued an appeal against the decision of their execution.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday declared the death warrants of two convicts illegal, postponing their execution in Sukkar Central Jail. According to death warrants issued by anti-terrorism (ATC) courts, the convicts were supposed to be executed on December 23.
The court also granted permission to transfer both convicts from the Sukkur Central Jail to Karachi Central Jail.
The court said that according to jail rules executions are to be carried out only seven days after the issue of the black warrants.
Families of the convicts had filed an appeal with the Sindh High Court claiming that the death warrants are unlawful since there is already a plea for mercy under hearing in the Supreme Court.
A SHC division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto heard the appeal. The court directed the ATC to issue new warrants.
The moratorium on death penalty in terrorism-related cases was lifted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after the horrific attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar.
Further, just a day ago, four convicts involved in an attack on former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf were hanged at a district jail in Faisalabad.
Prior to this, two other convicted terrorists - Mohammed Aqeel, a former member of the army’s medical corps, who goes by the alias of Dr Usman and Arshad Mehrban - were hanged at the Faisalabad District Jail.
Aqeel was among the seven people convicted for their role in the attack on Army headquarters in Rawalpindi. Whereas Mehrban had been convicted for his involvement in the attack on former president General Pervez Musharraf.
The federal government on Monday challenged a decision by the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC), which had temporarily halted execution of death sentences of five terrorists.
The application, filed by the Standing Counsel for Federal Government Chaudhry Masroof Advocate, alleges that lawyers representing the convicts have concealed facts.
He further contended through an application that all legal requirements were followed during the course of proceedings and the punishment was awarded to convicts on merit. He thus requested the court to withdraw the stay order.
The death row inmates had been arrested in July 2013 for killing seven army officials and a police constable in Jehlum in 2012.
Earlier in the day, LHC Rawalpindi bench had decided to suspend the execution of five prisoners convicted of terrorism, Express News reported.
According to Express News correspondent Qaiser Shirazi, the relatives of the five prisoners on death row had said the prisoners had not yet issued an appeal against the decision of their execution.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday declared the death warrants of two convicts illegal, postponing their execution in Sukkar Central Jail. According to death warrants issued by anti-terrorism (ATC) courts, the convicts were supposed to be executed on December 23.
The court also granted permission to transfer both convicts from the Sukkur Central Jail to Karachi Central Jail.
The court said that according to jail rules executions are to be carried out only seven days after the issue of the black warrants.
Families of the convicts had filed an appeal with the Sindh High Court claiming that the death warrants are unlawful since there is already a plea for mercy under hearing in the Supreme Court.
A SHC division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto heard the appeal. The court directed the ATC to issue new warrants.
The moratorium on death penalty in terrorism-related cases was lifted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after the horrific attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar.
Further, just a day ago, four convicts involved in an attack on former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf were hanged at a district jail in Faisalabad.
Prior to this, two other convicted terrorists - Mohammed Aqeel, a former member of the army’s medical corps, who goes by the alias of Dr Usman and Arshad Mehrban - were hanged at the Faisalabad District Jail.
Aqeel was among the seven people convicted for their role in the attack on Army headquarters in Rawalpindi. Whereas Mehrban had been convicted for his involvement in the attack on former president General Pervez Musharraf.