Seven convicts hanged in four jails

Published January 13, 2015
A hangman's noose is seen in this picture. — AFP/file
A hangman's noose is seen in this picture. — AFP/file

KARACHI/SUKKUR/FAISALABAD/RAWALPINDI: Seven condemned prisoners have been executed in Karachi, Sukkur, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi on Tuesday morning.

Behram Khan was condemned to death by an anti-terrorism court in June 2003, which found him guilty of killing Advocate Mohammad Ashraf in a courtroom of the Sindh High Court in April 2003.

Khan was hanged at the Karachi Central Prison. According to the prosecution, Behram and sub-inspector Pir Bux had arrived at the court to kill Advocate Qurban Ali Chauhan, who was the attorney for an accused being tried for the killing of Behram’s maternal uncle.

The mercy petition of the convict was also turned down by the President of Pakistan.

Also read: Four hanged in Faisalabad jail

Three convicts Shahid Haneef, Muhammad Talha and Khaleel Ahmed have been hanged at Central Jail Sukkur. All the three were found guilty by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi, of killing Mr. Syed Zaffar Ali Shah, who was a director in Defence ministry, when he was killed in July 2001.

Another prisoner, convicted of killing two policemen near the US Consulate General in Karachi, Zulfikar Ali was hanged at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.

Ali, a resident of Naval Colony, Hub Road Karachi. was associated with al Qaeda. He was convicted by an anti-terrorism court in Karachi after being booked in February 2003. Five members of Zulfiqar’s family held their last meeting on Monday.

Know more: Pervez Musharraf attack case: Ex-PAF technician hanged

Mushtaq Ahmed and Nawazish Ali were executed at Central Jail Faisalabad. Both were convicted for involvement in a 2003 attempt to killed Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf. Nawazish was a junior technician at Pakistan Air Force, when he was nabbed, while Mushtaq Ahmed was a civilian.

Another convict in the case, former Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief technician Khalid Mehmood, was executed in the Adiala Jail on Jan 9.

Also read: Dr Usman, Arshad Mehmood executed in Faisalabad

Extra ordinary security measures were taken around the jails, where death row prisoners were executed. Heavy contingent of police, Rangers and army personnel were deployed in and outside the jails’ premises. Cellphone Signal jammers were also placed at sensitive spots around the jails.

A moratorium on executions had been imposed in the country since 2008. The PML-N government lifted it on Dec 17, 2014 in the wake of the Peshawar school tragedy.

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