[Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

July 29



PAKISTAN:

LHC suspends death penalty of 2 accused murderers


A Lahore High Court Division Bench on Monday suspended the death penalty
of 2 accused murderers until August 3 after they filed a petition. Black
warrants for the accused Shafaqat Ali and Muhammad Saeed had been issued
according to which they were to be hanged on Tuesday (today) their counsel
Sardar Khurram Latif Khan Khosa said. Khosa said the court order was faxed
to jail authorities. He told the bench of Justice Hasnat Ahmed Khan and
Justice Kazim Ali Malik that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had
announced the commuting of death sentences of all prisoners to life
imprisonment on June 22. He added that for this purpose a summary had
already been sent to the president who is yet to make a decision. He added
that the Supreme Court (SC) had also taken suo moto notice in this regard
and no one could be hanged until the final decision of the suo moto
notice.

Khosa said that both petitioners were condemned prisoners since the
president had rejected their clemency appeals. He asked the court to
direct jail authorities not to hang the petitioners until the final SC
verdict. The judge also directed the petitioners to file a petition before
the Supreme Court to become a party in its suo moto notice taken against
the governments decision to commute the death penalty. According to the
prosecution, Shafaqat and Saeed were involved in a murder case registered
at Mananwala Police Station of district Sheikhupura.

(source: Daily Times)