Convict's execution stayed for health reasons: Pakistan minister

The execution of Saulat Mirza, sentenced to death for murdering the former chief of Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), was stayed owing to the convict's poor health, said Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, according to media reports on Thursday.

Saulat Mirza, a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party, was handed down the death sentence on May 24, 1999, for killing Shahid Hamid, the former managing director of KESC, Geo News reported.

His execution, scheduled for 5.30 a.m. on Thursday, was postponed by 72 hours after he confessed in a video statement aired on Geo News, to have received instructions to kill the KESC boss from the MQM chief Altaf Hussain through party leader Babar Ghauri.

Interior Minister Nisar, speaking on the floor of the parliament, skirted around the issue of the convict's allegations and said that Mirza's executon was postponed as "he is not well enough to be executed", according to a Dawn online report.

Nisar said he wanted to take the house into confidence regarding the staying of the executions of Saulat Mirza and another convict, Shafqat Hussain.

"Another case came before us regarding a convict, who was not well enough to be hanged," he said, referring to Mirza.

"So for different cases, we stayed both the executions for 72 hours. This decision was taken late last night."

It was decided that a new team would be constituted to interrogate Mirza following his revelations, Geo News reported citing sources.

However, at the same time, a letter seeking a fresh death warrant for Mirza was also being dispatched to the court, the report said.

Mirza also alleged that former MQM leader Azeem Tariq was killed on the orders of Altaf Hussain and another leader Mustafa Kamal was humiliated to such a level that he had to leave the country.

"I am not making an appeal for condoning my death sentence. I only appeal to the government to extend my death penalty for some time," Mirza said.

He claimed that such an extension would allow him time to make more disclosures which might be helpful for the authorities to take appropriate actions to help bring peace to Karachi.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain and leader Babar Ghauri dismissed the allegations, calling them a conspiracy to defame the party.