SUKKUR/RAWALPINDI: Courts on Monday barred execution of seven convicted terrorists ahead of their hanging in Rawalpindi and Sukkur.According to correspondent, Justice Arshad Mehmood Tabasum, a judge at Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC), stayed execution of five convicted terrorists after hearing their petition.
The death row convicts – Ehsan Azeem, Asif Idrees, Umar Nadeem, Kamran Aslam, and Amir Yousuf – had been handed down death penalty by a military court.
Their death warrants had been signed by army chief General Raheel Sharif.
Lawyer Laiq Khan Sawati argued before the judge that it could not be determined on what charges the five have been awarded death penalty. The said neither the convicts were given a right to hire a counsel for their defence nor were they provided with copy of the military court ruling.
After hearing the arguments, the judge issued notices to both the parties and stayed executions of prisoners who are on the death row in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.
Three of the terrorist – Ehsan Azeem, Umar Nadeem and Kamran Aslam – were involved in attack on Gujrat military camp.
On the other hand, Sindh High Court (SHC) suspended death warrants issued for two convicted terrorists – Ataullah alias Qasim and Muhammed Azam – who were scheduled to be hanged on Tuesday in Sukkur central jail.
The court ordered authorities to transfer the prisoners to Karachi central jail.
Another death row prisoner, Muhammad Nawaz, is likely to be sent to gallows in Bahawalpur jail today. Nawaz, a resident of Punjab’s Sargodha town, belongs to a banned outfit. He was convicted by Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court for his involvement in sectarian riots and bomb blasts.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directed Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt and his legal team to actively pursue terrorism cases and approach courts to vacate stay orders against executions.
On Sunday, authorities executed four more militants as the government has ended a six-year moratorium on capital punishment for terror-related cases following Taliban attack on Peshawar school that killed 149 people.
Two other convicts were hanged on Friday in Pervez Mushrraf attack case.
