LHC reverses stay order against execution of 5 prisoners

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday accepted the government's appeal challenging a stay order issued against the execution of five death row prisoners who were involved in an attack on a military camp near Gujrat in 2012.

Previously, the LHC had decided to stay the executions. However, the court on Wednesday took back its decision and maintained the sentence handed down by a military court for execution of the prisoners.

Last year, a military court had convicted them under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952. They are currently incarcerated at Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore.

Earlier this week, Laeeq Khan Swati, the counsel for the condemned men, had argued that the military authorities had not provided his clients with documents relating to the proceedings of the trial.

Convict Ishan Azeem's mother had filed an appeal in the LHC's Rawalpindi bench against the military court's decision.

On the other hand, Chaudhry Masroof, the counsel for the federal government, had also filed an application in the LHC for a revision of the stay order. In the application, the government had maintained that the counsel for the condemned men had made a false statement before the court and had concealed facts.

The government's appeal was accepted by the LHC today, whereas the application by Ihsan Azeem's mother was rejected.