Convicted sectarian terrorist and co-founder of the dreaded sectarian terror outfit Laskher-e-Jhangvi, Ikramul Haq alias Akram Lahori has finally been executed in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail early this morning.
Today’s execution pushed to 19 the number of executions carried out since Pakistan lifted a six-year moratorium on the death penalty a month ago.
Initially, Lahori was scheduled to be hanged at 6am on January 8; however, his family members rushed to the jail to stay the execution by striking a compromise agreement with the grieved party.
Lahori’s lawyer, Advocate Ghulam Mustafa Mangan said the victims finally pardoned Haq before the magistrate and requested him to stay the hanging.
“The hanging was canceled after we reached a compromise with the complainant’s family. They have pardoned my client,” Mangan said, without giving further details of the deal.
His family members approached the magistrate in jail, asserting that Ikramul Haq has been mistaken for another terrorist Akram Lahori, adding the two are different persons.
Inspecting the agreement between the two sides, the magistrate put on hold his execution for the time being. In ensuing judicial proceedings, a local Faisalabad court upheld the verdict regarding his execution on January 13, when his death warrants were re-issued.
The deadly Peshawar incident forced the government to lift the six-year moratorium on capital punishment. Hours after the Taliban attack that left around 140 schoolchildren dead, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced an end to the ban on the death penalty.
