Pak man Shafqat Hussain's execution stayed for fourth time

A Pakistani death-row prisoner's hanging was postponed for a fourth time today, after the Supreme Court accepted his plea to stay the execution until the doubts over his age at the time of the murder of a seven- year-old boy in 2004 was settled.
Shafqat Hussain, sentenced to death for kidnapping and involuntary murder of the boy at a Karachi apartment where he worked as a security guard, was scheduled to be executed shortly before dawn at a Karachi prison today.
Authorities in a late night move postponed Hussain's hanging after the Supreme Court accepted his plea yesterday to stay the execution till the issue of his age was settled.

The apex court confirmed it has set a hearing to examine the questions around Hussain's age, but did not give a date.
The case has garnered a lot of attention on social and mainstream media, provoking debates between supporters and opponents of the death penalty.
It has drawn a lot of international attention as his lawyers and family claim he was 15 at the time of the murder, and thus cannot be executed under Pakistan's laws.

Under Pakistani laws, a person cannot be hanged for crimes committed before 18 years of age.
International human rights organisations and civil society groups have criticised his execution orders after doubts over his age at the time of sentencing surfaced.

Amnesty International and UN rights groups have urged authorities to halt Hussain's execution. Amnesty in statement yesterday asked President Mamnoon Hussain to intervene and stop the execution.
Hussain's execution was scheduled for 4.30 am at a Karachi jail today, but was stayed a fourth time, Dawn reported.
His legal team has insisted that his previous defence attorneys did not plead his case competently, and the age factor was overlooked in the past.
Shafqat was originally due to face the noose on January 14. But the government halted the execution amid protests about his age, and ordered an investigation.
The inquiry, carried out by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), found he was an adult at the time of his conviction.