President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain

PAKISTAN: PRESIDENT MAMNOON REJECTS 9 DEATH ROW INMATES’ MERCY PLEAS

February 21, 2015: Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain turned down during last two days clemency appeals of nine prisoners on death row. Mercy pleas of three death row convicts - Abdulaziz Narejo, Achar Narejo and Bashir Bhutto - at Central Jail Sukkur were dismissed on February 21, who were sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in 2001, ARY News reported. The superintendent of Sukkur prison said that the convicts will be hanged as soon as the jail authorities receive their black warrants. President Mamnoon Hussain turned down on February 20 clemency appeals of six prisoners on death row, who are likely to be executed over the next couple of days, sources in the Presidency told Dawn. All six prisoners are from Sindh.
Sources say the president’s decision has been conveyed to the Sindh Home Department, which has directed the inspector general for prisons to carry out the executions.
The prisoners whose appeals have been turned down include Achar alias Bhai Khan, Abdul Aziz, Bashir Ahmed, Mohammad Faisal, Mohammad Afzal and Munawwar Ali. All six are said to have been convicted in various terrorism cases.
The President has already rejected 17 mercy pleas from criminals awarded the death penalty since last December.
On December 17, 2014, President Mamnoon approved the abolition of a moratorium on the death penalty after the attack on Peshawar’s Army Public School, which claimed the lives of 148 people, including 135 schoolchildren. (Sources: Livenewspak.com, 21/02/2015; omantribune.com, 23/02/2015)