President stays Mirza Tahir’s execution till Dec 31

international | crime and justice | other press Friday October 20, 2006 18:28 by Qasim Rajpar - Daily Awami awaz

Pakistan President Musharraf has for the fourth time ordered a stay in the execution of the British citizen Tahir Mirza, who has been on death row for the past 18 years, till December 31.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Musharraf has for the fourth time ordered a stay in the execution of the British citizen Tahir Mirza, who has been on death row for the past 18 years, till December 31.
President Musharraf has previously ordered three stays of execution following a vocal campaign by Hussain’s family but a court has now set Hussain’s execution for November 1.
Dual British-Pakistani national Hussain was 18 when he was arrested for killing a taxi driver shortly after arriving in Pakistan to visit relatives in 1988.
Mirza Tahir’s brother Mirza Amjad Hussain had filed a mercy plea with President Musharraf to stay Tahir’s execution for a few days on humanitarian grounds and so that negotiations could be held with the relatives of the murdered taxi driver.
According to sources on the plea of Mirza Tahir’s brother President has deferred the execution till December 31.
According to presidential office President can stay execution on humanitarian grounds in such cases so that both the parties are given ample time to negotiate?
In 1996 Mirza Tahir was cleared by the high court but was imposed the death penalty by the "Sharia" court.
His family has been unable to negotiate a "blood money" deal with relatives of the victim, cab driver Jamshed Khan.
It merits mentioning that British High Commissioner To Pakistan Sir Mark Lyall Grant had refuted the media reports that UK PM Tony Blair had threatened Pakistan of ’ serious consequences’ and said that the case of Mirza Tahir Hussain is a sovereign matter for government of Pakistan and Tony Blair’s statement has been mis-represented in this regard.