QUETTA/ATTOCK/LAHORE/RAWALPINDI - The execution of Saulat Mirza has been delayed for 30 days, said superintendent Machh Jail Ishaq Zehri on Monday.
The report quoted superintendent Machh Jail Ishaq Zehri as saying that prison authorities had received orders regarding a delay of 30 days in execution of Saulat Mirza. As per fresh orders, Saulat will be hanged on April 30.
Last week, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had sent a summary to President Mamnoon Hussain recommending one-month extension in Mirza's execution.
President Mamnoon Hussain had extended Mirza's execution after a video surfaced barely hours before his hanging in which Mirza had hurled accusations at the top MQM leadership.
An earlier media report however said that Machh Jail administration had not received orders to extend the execution date of Saulat Mirza, a former Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) worker convicted in a triple murder case, jail officials said on Monday.
A senior officer of the prison told local media that preparations had been finalised for execution of Mirza as per the new black warrants on April 1 at 5:30 am.
"Saulat will be hanged on April 1 as per the fresh black warrants," the officer said.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi had issued fresh black warrants following the postponement of the death row convict's execution. Mirza was originally scheduled to be hanged on March 19.
Mirza was found guilty of murdering then managing director (MD) of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), now K-electric, Malik Shahid Hamid, his driver Ashraf Brohi and his guard Khan Akbar outside Hamid's residence in Karachi's DHA on July 5, 1997.
Separately, the wife of Saulat Mirza on Monday revealed that her husband was in contact with MQM chief Altaf Hussain just before he was apprehended by the authorities in Karachi.
In an interview with a private TV channel, Mirza’s wife said she visited the party headquarters Nine-Zero for the last time in the previous month (February). “Since then we were not even allowed to move beyond Mukka Chowk (a roundabout located about half-a-kilometre from Nine-Zero),” she added.
She said MQM leader Farooq Sattar told her that party’s role in connection with Mirza’s case was over and “now you are on your own”.
She termed MQM's announcement of disowning Mirza as a 'big joke'.
“Had the party not disowned Saulat Mirza, he would not have opened his mouth,” she said, demanding that her husband’s statement be investigated.
She said her husband did not give the statement under duress. She said there were four people involved in this case but they are not being apprehended. “Why aren’t they brought before the court,” she asked.
Meanwhile, five death row convicts will be hanged till death in Punjab today.
As per record of the Prisons Department, Zulfiqar will be executed in Kot Lakhpat Jail for murdering two people while Amin will be hanged till death in Adyala Jail Rawalpindi today.
Another death row prisoner will be executed in Mianwali on Tuesday morning (today).
A death row convict will be hanged in Sargodha on Tuesday morning. For the first time in the history of District Jail Sargodha, Riaz, a resident of Chua Saiden Shah, will be hanged today. He was handed down death penalty for committing a double murder. All the arrangements for this execution have been finalised. The convict has been transferred to death cell. Security has been beefed up around the prison. In this connection, relatives of Riaz had a last meeting with him before his execution.
Another death row convict Ikrmul Haq, condemned for kidnapping a three-year-old girl for ransom, will be hanged in Attock District Jail today (Tuesday).
As per District Jail Attock sources, Ikramul Haq had kidnapped a three-year-old girl Amna in 2002 for ransom. He was later arrested and produced in court.
 The court found him guilty of the crime and awarded him capital punishment in 2003. His mercy plea was also turned down by President of Pakistan. The jail authorities arranged last meeting between him and his relatives.
Family members of the convict said that the issue was already settled with the family of the kidnapped girl and the affected family also pardoned Ikram but the President of Pakistan even then turned down his mercy plea. They demanded that death punishment of Ikramul Haq be converted into life imprisonment.