Appeals of two Pakistani death row convicts rejected

A Pakistan court Friday rejected the mercy appeals of two death row convicts, while a similar plea of another was dismissed as his execution was already put on hold.

The Sindh High Court cancelled the appeal of convicts Saeed Awan and Behram Khan on the grounds that they did not receive a presidential pardon, Dawn online reported.

Khan's execution will take place Jan 13 and of Awan Jan 15.

The appeal filed by convict Shafqat Hussain was dismissed since the federal interior ministry had already halted his execution.

He was sentenced to death in September 2004 for abducting and killing a child.

The execution was also halted for three other convicts, who were sentenced to death for an assasination attempt on former president Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi in 2003.

The Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi bench, headed by Justice Amin Qazi, heard the petition filed by convicts Khalid Mehmood, Nawazish Ali and Mushtaq Ahmed.

Their counsel petitioned the court that they were unable to appeal against the death sentence handed down by the military court.

Justic Qazi accepted their request for hearing their appeals Jan 12.

The executions of those convicted of acts of terrorism started as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the moratorium on capital punishment in the aftermath of Peshawar school carnage that left around 150 people, mostly children, dead.

So far, nine convicts have been executed.