Shahzad Ahmad
LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Zainab’s father seeking public hanging of the rapist-killer of his seven-year-old daughter.
Imran’s execution is scheduled for Wednesday (today) in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail and all arrangements for the purpose were completed yesterday.
Headed by Justice Sardar Ahmed Shamim, a two-member LHC Bench dismissed Zainab’s father Amin Ansari’s plea made under Section 22 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.
The Bench said that only the government could take such a decision. Justice Shamim said: “We are not the government.”
He asked whether the petitioner had submitted a request to the government. Amin’s lawyer answered in the positive, adding the government had not taken any action on the request. “You have come here so late. The date of the hanging has been fixed for Wednesday,” said the Bench.
The petitioner also requested the court to allow a live telecast of the hanging inside the jail. He said that he was ready to even bear the expenses if the court allows a camera inside Kot Lakhpat Jail.
FAMILY MEETS murderer
Over two dozen relatives of death-row prisoner Imran Ali visited the Kot Lakhpat jail on Tuesday for the final meeting that lasted for a few hours.
Imran Ali will be hanged to death in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail before dawn on Wednesday (today).
According to jail authorities, at least 28 family members visited the prison cell to have final meeting with the condemned prisoner. The family included mother, grandmother, brothers and sisters of Imran Ali. The jail superintendent was also present on this occasion.
Earlier, the jail superintendent had written a letter to Imran’s family according to the jail rules and the final meeting between the family and the condemned prisoner was scheduled for Tuesday at twelve noon inside the jail.
The family members were asked by the jail authorities to bring their ID cards with them and maximum 50 people would be allowed to meet Imran Ali.
The dead body will be handed over to the family on Wednesday (today) morning at 05:30am. The family will provide ambulance, clothes, and a bed sheet to the jail staff for transportation of the dead body.
