Pakistan to hand over executed Russian's body

Pakistan is all set to hand over the body of the Russian citizen, who was hanged Sunday in Faisalabad, to its embassy.

Javed Akram, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) chief, confirmed that arrangements have been finalised for handing over the body to the Russian embassy Friday, Dawn online reported.

Akhlas Akhlaque, who also had citizenship of Pakistan, was sentenced to death for involvement in an attack on former President Pervez Musharraf and was executed Sunday.

The Russian government repeatedly approached Pakistani authorities with a plea to reconsider the death sentence, a statement by the Russian embassy said.

Pakistan, however, turned down the request for postponement of the execution.

"It is regrettable that the Pakistani side did not respond to our repeated appeals to commute Akhlaque's sentence on humanitarian grounds. It should also be noted that the Pakistani authorities did not officially inform the Embassy of Russia in Islamabad about the decision to carry out the sentence," the statement said.

A PIMS official said the body was moved by law-enforcement personnel to the hospital Tuesday but for some reason they later took it away.

The body was again brought to the PIMS and instructions were issued that it should be readied for handing over to the Russian embassy as it was to be sent to Russia, he said.

"The body was moved to the mortuary where it was put in a special bag for the long travel," he added.

Akram said the PIMS management was not asked to carry out autopsy.