PAKISTAN. LAHORE HIGH COURT DIRECTS JAIL AUTHORITIES TO RESCHEDULE PRISONERS’ EXECUTION

a Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench in Pakistan directed jail authorities to reschedule the execution of three condemned prisoners within 15 days. Prisoners Muhammad Ilyas, Muhammad Abbas and Muhammad Ilyas had earlier moved a petition for the stay of execution but then withdrew their petition through their counsel as they had not reached a compromise with the heirs of the victims. A Gujranwala anti-terrorism court had sentenced them to death for killing Abid Hussain, Mohammad Akram, Liaqat Ali, Zahid and Mohammad Inayat on June 4, 1997. The bench had stayed their earlier execution scheduled for June 6 and to establish whether the heirs of the deceased wanted to accept blood money.