ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Punjab police inspector-general and home secretary to ensure that a convict awarded capital punishment but released under general amnesty to the juvenile prisoners granted by the president be brought before it in the next hearing.

On the last hearing, the court had suspended the Lahore central jail superintendent and issued a contempt of court notice against him for releasing a convict whose appeal was pending.

The convict, Sher Khan, was released after he was given the benefit of a presidential notification issued on Dec 13, 2001, giving general commutation to all the juveniles who had been awarded capital punishment.

Punjab Advocate-General Shabbar Raza Rizvi informed the court that an error was committed by the Mianwali district and sessions judge, who had issued the commitment warrant in which it was stated that the convict was of 18 years of age.

The Lahore High Court had dismissed the plea of the convict that he was 18 years of age at the time of the commission of offence.