PAKISTAN: SUPERINTENDENT ADIALA JAIL REFUSES TO EXECUTE DEATH ROW CONVICT

January 26, 2015: Superintendent Adiala Prisons Malik Mushtaq has refused to execute the convict of famous Wah Cantt murder case despite issuance of black warrant. The District and Session Judge Rawalpindi summoned Malik Mushtaq over his refusal to implement the court order. Earlier, D&J Rawalpindi Muhammad Tanvir Akbar while issuing black warrant of convict Shoaib Sarwar had ordered Superintendent Malik Mushtaq to execute the convict on February 3.
But Malik Mushtaq while refusing the judge’s order to execute the convicts contended that the federal government had decided to execute the convicts of only terrorism incident while Shoaib had been handed down death penalty in a simple murder case. On the other hand, D&J Muhammad Tanvir Akbar while taking notice of the Adiala Jail Superintendent refusal to implement the court order summoned him on Tuesday. It is to be mentioned that Sarwar was convicted in July, 1998 by a Rawalpindi district and sessions judge for the murder of Awais Nawaz on January 21, 1996 in Wah Cantt. (Sources: thenewstribe.com, 26/01/2015)