SUKKUR: Arrangements were finalised on Tuesday for the execution of two condemned prisoners at the Sukkur Central Prison-1 in the early hours of Wednesday (today). Relatives of Abdul Jalil aka Jalal Morejo and Maulvi Abdul Razzaq Chohan held a final meeting earlier in the day.

Morejo, a resident of a village in Naushahro Feroze, was convicted in 2000 of killing his cousin, Haroon Morejo, in 1997. His hanging was stayed by the president 25 times due to a moratorium on executions then in place in the country.

Finally, a black warrant for March 25 was issued by the Naushahro Feroze sessions court with directives to implement the execution order.

Maulvi Chohan was convicted on Nov 27, 2004 of killing a student, Aftab aka Iqrar Mirani, at his seminary in the Bachal Shah Miani area of Sukkur.

After their last meeting with Maulvi Chohan, his relatives held a protest demonstration outside the prison and blocked the nearby section of the National Highway demanding stoppage of the execution.

Rohri police briefly detained 15 of the protesters, including 10 women, to disperse them.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play