Firstpost – AFP, Jan 8, 2015
Ikramul
Haq, a member of banned Sunni militant outfit Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, was sentenced to
death by an anti-terror court in 2004 for killing a Shiite Muslim in 2001.
He was set
to be hanged in the eastern city of Lahore early Thursday but his family came
to a deal with the victim's relatives on Wednesday night, Haq's lawyer, Ghulam
Mustafa Mangan, told AFP.
"The
hanging was cancelled after we reached a compromise with the complainant's
family. They have pardoned my client," Mangan said, without giving further
details of the deal.
Murder can
be forgiven under Pakistani law in exchange for blood money, while rival
militant groups may chose to pardon each others' convicted killers. Ehsanul
Haq, brother of Ikramul Haq, confirmed the cancellation of hanging.
A senior
prison official also confirmed the move, adding: "A magistrate has
recorded the statements and the execution has been stayed. Now the court will
decide whether the person (should) be acquitted or not."
Pakistan
last month lifted a six-year moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases in
the wake of the Taliban's horrific massacre at an army-run school in the city
of Peshawar, and has so far executed nine people.
The attack
on December 16 left 150 people dead, the vast majority of them children.
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