ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – Supreme court of Pakistan has halted the execution of four death row convicts as Atiqur Rehman , Azhar Shabbir , Shabbir Hussain were to be executed in Kotlakpat Jail while Karim Nawaz khan was to be executed in Mianwali Prison on August 5.
According to details, Atiqur Rehman , Azhar Shabbir and Shabbir Hussain were to be executed being convicts in the case of abduction of three men for ransom in Achhra area of Lahore while Karim Nawaz khan was to be executed under Pakistan penal code and anti-terrorism act being convict in murder of three persons, The News Tribe reported.
The death sentence of these convicts had been finalized but the petition was filed in the apex court for lessening the sentence of the convicts.
Divisional bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Dost Muhammad khan on Monday conducted hearing of the petition of the convicts.
The counsel of Karim Nawaz khan informed the court that compromise has been reached between his client and the relatives of the deceased persons and the matter is under hearing in the larger bench of the court as to whether the sentence announced under section seven of the anti-terrorism act can be absolved or not. He prayed the court that the implementation of the death sentence should be stopped till the decision of the larger bench.
While the counsel of the convicts in the case of abduction for ransom contended that death sentence cannot be awarded on abduction for ransom and he prayed for changing death sentence into life time imprisonment.
The court accepted the petitions for proper hearing and ordered the superintendents of central jail Mianwali and Kotlakpat to stop the implementation of the execution.
