Pakistan

Interior ministry requests 90-day stay of Saulat's execution

Mirza was sentenced to death for murdering former KESC MD, his driver and guard in 1997 in Karachi

Web Desk March 20, 2015

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activist Saulat Mirza

ISLAMABAD: Just a day after Saulat Mirza's confessional video was released, a summary report pertaining to the stay on his execution for 90 days was sent to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, Express News reported Friday.

Mirza, a target killer, was sentenced to death in 1999 on charges of murdering former managing director of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation Shahid Hamid along with his driver Ashraf Brohi and guard Akbar Khan in July 1997 in Karachi.

In the video released just hours before he was due to be executed, Mirza alleged that he received the order for the 'hit' from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain at MQM leader Babar Ghauri's residence.

Read: Five policemen deployed outside Saulat Mirza's residence

Although MQM claim that the confessional video carries no legal weight, the summary sent to the premier today advises that a Joint Investigation Team should be made to investigate the allegations made in the video.

Read: Saulat Mirza's confessional video carries no legal weight: MQM

The government hs been in talks with legal experts pertaining to Mirza's case and it is expected that a decision will be reached today.

Mirza is also expected to record his statements in front of a magistrate. All the names mentioned in the video will also be questioned.

Following Mirza's concerns expressed in his video about the security of his family, five policemen were deployed outside his home on Thursday.

Read: Five policemen deployed outside Saulat Mirza's residence

COMMENTS (17)

Khalid | 9 years ago | Reply Execute him on June 20th to be sure he dies on the first day of Ramzan, and enters heaven InshAllah. He will already pay for his crime.

S.R.H. Hashmi | 9 years ago | Reply Observing the way things have been happening in Pakistan, I remember TV comedy programme 'Gora Saheb' in which every now and then, the main character used to say "What a country". We know of the case of Shafqat Hussain who was awarded death sentence and was given the reprieve just before the execution, on the plea that he was under-age at the time he committed the murder. And now TV Channel Dunya News has shown the photographs of the person, including one taken by the Police soon after committing the murder which in no way could be the one of a 13-year-old. In fact, according to the channel, his age at that time was stated as 23 years in police records. And now we have the case of Saulat Mirza for whom the legal process and available remedies like mercy appeals had been exhausted and he was just hours away from the gallows. However, his hanging has been stayed after airing of a video in which he claimed receiving telephonic orders to commit murders from Altaf Hussain at the residence of other MQM leader in Karachi. It will be interesting to note that the reason for staying his execution was given by the Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on the floor of the National Assembly as ill health. In any normal country, a probe would have been launched as to how a condemned prisoner in death cell got access to all these facilities but ignoring all that, and taking the words of the murderer as gospel, the government is putting the names of MQM leaders mentioned in the video on the exit control list. At the same time, the Interior Ministry has put in a request for deferring Saulat Mirza's execution for ninety days though it was not clarified whether the request was accompanied by a medical report. And now two top state officials are jointly considering Interior Ministry's request for deferment of Saulat Mirza's execution. There is a saying that two heads are better than one but I suppose that must be subject to some conditions. Let us face it. What is there to stop two heads from being twice as bad? Come to think of it, this was not the only case of two heads pondering over some issue. In the meantime, Uzair Baloch has also leveled some very serious charges against top Peoples Party leadership but that has hardly created any ripples: perhaps no one is interested in that. And while the armed forces are playing their part, eliminating terrorists in the tribal areas, the rest of the National Action Plan, especially the part required to be played by the civilian administration, and over a long period of time, seems to be nearly forgotten. Instead, the full state machinery and might seem to be directed against MQM, as if that is the beginning and end of all of Pakistan's problems. And the case of killing of fourteen and wounding of another eighty at Dr. Tahirul Qadri's secretariat at Model Town is almost as good as buried. I suppose the people were just unlucky and that's it. Karachi

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Urban Legend | 9 years ago | Reply Political drama. 1992 drama repeated. Have anyone ever seen in Pakistan the convicts/accused appearing on TV and speaking about their crimes. And to top it all, a person a day before the death has his recording aired and then his execution gets postponed for "health reasons". Isnt it too much to digest?

Raisani | 9 years ago | Reply @Sidster: if you'd have heard him with attention then u wouldn't have asked this question. he did not only apologized with those families but also the whole nation n he's bewared the other boys of party n he said I'm a "nishan-e-ibratt" for everyone. he knew that he had to go n b answerable to God, so he has tried to make confessions. At least in last he's doing some good deeds. so instead of getting into conspiracies we shoud support his good part.

Hatim | 9 years ago | Reply Now we know the secret being his illness. The interior minister is such a big liar.

Sidster | 9 years ago | Reply @Raisani: What kind of dying Confession this Video can be with out any remorse and apology to victims family for Murdering a member of their household.

Gemini | 9 years ago | Reply @Gp65: Yes USA can say that because they have to be answerable infront of congress, as they are paying heavy amount to some logistic company to transfer their containers.

Imran Qadri | 9 years ago | Reply My comments from mobile device got blocked so let me try again. @Gp65 Deal is good thing,Saulat didn't had any personal grudge or enmity against KESC chief. He was just a pawn carrying out the hit on orders of his mafia bosses i.e. they were the actual mastermind and perpetrators of killings of thousands of innocent Karachiites. So any deal that makes them get punished for their crimes is acceptable.

IceSoul | 9 years ago | Reply Even if its a deal, how is that an issue? As for NATO, I don't know what they have been smoking because a number of containers have been stolen over the years. A quick google search will tell you that. NATO's statements carry little weight when NATO weaponry and stolen equipment is so easily available. Its not even very difficult to purchase that stuff.

Tony Montana | 9 years ago | Reply Ch Nisar meeting with UK officials. He may be sent to London as a witness.

Raisani | 9 years ago | Reply @Gp65: He never confessed in 15 years has nothing to do with his dying declaration, may be his conscience has finally woke up and he wanted to a good deed for his after life and to save millions of other innocents who could possibly be the victims. He was not under trial that he has given these statements in pressure, he was already convicted and going to be hanged. Whatever he has done in past is at one side but what he has done in his last moments have gathered many Pakistanis sympathies now and we totally support Saulat's confessional statement.

Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply Muddy the waters...confuse the issue.....subvert justice......just another day in Pakistan's political scenario.. Disgraceful is it not ?......but then, who really cares ?

abreez | 9 years ago | Reply For me the most shocking part of the movie of ‘confessions of Saulat Mirza’ is when the side hero asked the hero how much he was getting for his ‘dirty works’. The answer was ‘nothing’; he was doing all those ‘dirty works’ for a cause, for an unholy war, for a dream.

Barred Reader | 9 years ago | Reply Sane decision. Use this pawn for capturing the king and generals.

Raisani | 9 years ago | Reply Saulat Mirza should not be executed at all, as he has revealed the secrets willingly, so he's a guilty conscience now and needs no other punishment. Those should be punished who made criminals like Saulat Mirza.

Khan | 9 years ago | Reply I'm sure he'd be let off the noose after these 90 days have lapsed!!

Gp65 | 9 years ago | Reply i am an a Indian and by no means an MQM supporter. But this man has been in custody for 15 years and never made such a claim. Now he makes a claim, the day before he was to be hanged and suddenly his hanging seems to be pushed back. This could very well be a deal - get him to say stuff and in turn his death penalty becomes a life sentence. Even the accusation of arms ftom stolen containers does not wash after US has said that it did not use Karachi to send the arms.

Replying to X