To the gallows: Murder convict to be hanged on Sept 15

Family makes last gasp efforts to cut deal with victim’s family

HARIPUR: A convict on death row will be hanged on September 15, Haripur jail authorities said on Saturday.

Shabbir, a resident of Mohallah Afzalabad, was working at a hotel in Rawalpindi when about 20 years back he was arrested on murder charges. He was later sentenced to death by a Rawalpindi district and sessions court and shifted to the prison in his hometown.

He exhausted all options of appeals and mercy petitions with the president last week, after which the provincial home department issued his death warrant.

The black warrant was received by Haripur jail authorities on Friday wherein September 15 was fixed for execution.

“Yes, the warrants have been received and he will be hanged on the morning of Tuesday,” said an official requesting anonymity.

He added Shabbir will be allowed to meet his family members one last time on either Sunday or Monday.

Meanwhile, the family is making last gasp efforts to save Shabbir from the noose. They even approached the court to stay the hanging, expressing the desire to strike a compromise with the family of the man murdered by the convict.

This would be the third execution at the facility since it was constructed in 1929. The prison had no gallows in the past and they were constructed for the first time during March.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2015.