ISLAMABAD  - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday granted stay in the execution of capital punishment to Zulfiqar Ali Khan, a convict of double murder, after his counsel contended before the court that his client was to be executed through death squad instead of hanging.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Athar Minallah stayed the execution and directed the Attorney General and Advocate General of Islamabad to assist the court with legal opinion in this matter and deferred the hearing till March 30.
Presently, the convict imprisoned at Kot-Lakhpat jail of Lahore and was scheduled to be hanged on March 30. An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Rawalpindi awarded death penalty to him in 1999 for charges of double murder in 1996 after he was arrested on April 14, 1996.
Zulfiqar Ali Khan through his counsel Rana Kashif Advocate argued before the court that since the ATC had ordered for his execution, therefore, technically his client could not be hanged.
The counsel told the court that the same verdict was upheld by the Lahore High Court (LHC) and the Supreme Court as well therefore the jail authorities could execute the death sentence through death squad and not by hanging his client.
After hearing the preliminary arguments, Justice Athar Minallah stayed the execution and adjourned the hearing in this matter till March 30 for further proceedings.