Pak court stays execution of murder convict

A Pakistani court today stayed the execution of a murder convict, in what could have been the country's first civilian execution after it observed a six-year 'informal' moratorium on capital punishment.
The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench led by Justice Maqbool Bajwa granted the stay till October 13 on the petition of Shoaib Sarwar, Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), a legal non-profit representing the convict said in a statement today.
"The court has granted the stay in the case and asked the petitioner's lawyer to give further arguments on next date of hearing on October 13."
Amid calls from the rights organisations for scrapping death penalty, a district and session's court (Rawalpindi) on September 10 had ordered the Adaila Jail authorities to execute death-row prisoner Sarwar on September 18.

The convict was awarded death sentence on July 2, 1998 on the charge of murdering Awais Nawaz in Wah Cantt (Rawalpindi) in 1996.
The victim's brother had moved the High Court against the delay in implementing the sentence despite exhaustion of all appeals by the convict and rejection of his clemency plea by the President.

The High Court (Rawalpindi) ordered the district and sessions judge to implement the execution of the sentence of Sarwar, who is currently languishing in Haripur prison.
The convict's lawyer argued that Sarwar who has been in prison for over 18 years therefore, he had completed even the life sentence. How he could be punished twice for the same crime?

"We are relieved to have managed to avert this impending injustice through a stay order. Shoaib's execution would be an unimaginable violation of his constitutional rights and we will continue to fight until this black warrant has not been dismissed," said Maryam Haq, Legal Director of JPP.
The Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had expressed grave concern over the hanging of Sarwar despite an informal moratorium on executions.
"This execution should be halted immediately," said David Griffiths, Amnesty International's Deputy Asia-Pacific Director.
The last execution of a civilian death row prisoner in Pakistan had taken place in late 2008. Executions have since been suspended.

In late 2008, a civilian execution had taken place. In November 2012, a soldier was executed by military authorities.
Further, the report revealed that Behram Khan, a civilian, had been scheduled to be executed on July 30 but the order was later suspended.