Shafqat Hussain's execution halted for 30 days

Earlier, interior ministry had halted the 'underage' convict's execution for 72 hours

Interior ministry announced on Friday that 'underage' convict Shafqat Hussain’s death penalty was halted for 30 days, Express News reported.

Shaqfat was scheduled to be hanged on March 18, however, hours before he was sent to the gallows his execution was halted.

On Thursday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar told the National Assembly that Shafqat's execution was stayed for 72 hours, citing the confusion regarding his age at the time of conviction as the reason.

“We have decided to halt Shafqat’s execution for 72 hours,” the minister said.

Read: Death-row convicts: Hangings halted for 72 hours only, says Nisar

However, today (Friday) the interior ministry decided to halt Shafqat's execution for 30 days.

Shafqat’s mother had filed a fresh mercy petition with President of Pakistan, seeking to commute her son’s death to life imprisonment.

“I seek mercy (of my son Shafqat Hussain s/o Shahzullah, as his execution date has been fixed by the Central Jail Karachi, for 19.03.2015) in the name of Allah Almighty from your highness, and request you to kindly commute my son’s death to life imprisonment (25 years punishment) as empowered under Article 45 of constitution of Pakistan which is not challenged in any court of law,” reads the petition.

Read: Mercy plea: Shafqat Hussain’s mother turns to president

“Through this new petition—we beg pardon of President/Prime Minister of Pakistan. I beg for new life of her son,” Makhani Begum, 65, told The Express Tribune on phone from district Neelum, Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Shafqat was aged 14 when he had allegedly murdered a child in 2001. He had been sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court in 2004. Mercy appeals for Shafqat were rejected by the high court in 2006, and the Supreme Court in 2007 while the then President, Asif Ali Zardari, had also rejected his mercy petition in 2012.

The question regarding Shafqat being a juvenile had recently been raised, but only after the court proceedings and his mercy appeals were rejected by the presidency and various courts and his black warrants issued.