English
Islamabad, Sep 22: Pakistan today postponed the hanging of a paralysed death row convict due to lack of clarity of rules on how to execute a physically disabled person.Abdul Basit, 43, was scheduled to be executed in Faisalabad Central Jail in Punjab but the decision was not implemented.Ordering the postponement, a magistrate said that Basit could not be hanged in compliance with the jail manual because he is in a wheelchair.According to the local laws, the convict should stand up on the platform for the noose but in case of Basit, he is bound to wheel-chair, an official said.(Also Read: Pakistan decides to share evidence of Badaber attack with Afghan)
The authorities are considering to seek opinion of the home department in Punjab and inspector general of jails in the province how to carry out the execution.Basit was convicted in 2009 for killing?a man but he suffered tuberculosis meningitis in 2010 and an attack of paralysis which disabled his lower part of body.He was to be executed on July 29 but it was temporarily halted by Lahore High Court after a petition was lodged to set aside death penalty due to bad health.
The court later rejected it, saying there was no legal bar on execution of a paralyzed man and the issue of health should be determined by jail authorities including a qualified doctor.Later, the Supreme Court also rejected a similar appeal.Right groups like Amnesty International, Reprieve and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had demanded cancellation of Basit’s execution.Pakistan has executed about 240 convicts since restoring death penalty after an attack on an army-run school in Peshawar in December that killed 150 people, mostly students.
There are about 8,000 death row prisoners in the country.
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest World News on India.com.
