Facts concealed: Jailer reprimanded for obtaining death warrants

The convict says his plea against death sentence is pending with Supreme Court

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday reprimanded the Faisalabad jail superintendent for obtaining death warrants of a death row prisoner by concealing facts from the trial court (anti-terrorism court).

An LHC division bench heard a petition by Faiz Ahmad challenging his scheduled execution. He had been awarded death penalty in 2006 for killing Naek Tariq Mahmood in Nankana. The counsel for the convict said that an appeal against the death sentence was pending before the Supreme Court. He said the trial court had issued his death warrants on Superintendent Muhammad Babar’s request.

He said the jail officer had concealed facts from the trial court. He requested the court to set aside the death warrants.

Babar told the court that he did not know that the matter was pending with the Supreme Court. He said issuing death warrants of a condemned prisoner was a routine affair.

The bench observed that the convict would have been hanged had his family not approached the court.

The SP said execution will not be carried out till Ahmad’s appeal had been decided.  The court disposed of the petition in light of the undertaking.

The bench had already stayed the execution.

The anti-terrorism court cancelled death warrants of Faiz and another convict, Muhammad Sharif. Their families told the court that the superintendent had obtained the warrants by concealing facts. Sharif was awarded death penalty for killing an army man and for his involvement in terrorist activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2015.