Death penalty: Seven sent to the gallows ahead of Ramazan

There is a halt on executions during the month

FAISALABAD/ LAHORE: Seven murder convicts on death row were hanged in various prisons in the Punjab on Wednesday morning. These executions were held ahead of the start of the month of Ramazan during which there will be a halt on executions. 

Three convicts were hanged at the Central Jail in Faisalabad, two at the Central Jail in Sahiwal, and one each at Central Jail in Mianwali and the Gujrat District Jail.

Security was tightened in and around the prisons. Bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families.

Fayyaz Ahmed and Qaisar were hanged at the Sahiwal Central Jail. Ahmed had been convicted of a murder committed in 2005 in the vicinity of Lundianwala police station. He was tried by a Faisalabad additional district jail and sentenced to death. Qaiser had murdered a man in 2004 in the vicinity of Dinga police, Gujrat, and was sentenced to death by an additional district and sessions judge.

Muhammad Iqbal was hanged at the Gujrat District Jail. He had murdered a neighbour over a scuffle in 2000. He was also sentenced by an additional district and sessions judge.

Muhammad Aslam Khan was hanged at the Mianwali Central Jail. He had murdered a man over a failed marriage proposal in the vicinity of Musa Khel police in 1997.

The jail superintendent told The Express Tribune Muhammad Saleem and Rashid had shot dead Muhammad Arshad in 1998 after an argument. They were convicted by a sessions court.

The Faisalabad Central Jail SP said Nabeel Ahmad had killed a man in 2000. He was sentenced to death by a sessions court. He said their appeals to the Supreme Court and the president were rejected.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2015.