April 05, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 16, 1428

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RIYADH, April 4: The life of an 18-year-old Pakistani student was spared hours before his scheduled execution, press reports here said on Wednesday. The execution was scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

The youth was led to the execution ground, but at the last minute the family of the victim agreed to forgive him on the condition that his family build a mosque in Makkah bearing the victim's name.

The teenager, convicted of killing a Burmese man, had been sentenced to death three years ago.

Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed, who headed a reconciliation committee, had been trying to persuade the family to pardon the youth and drop their demand for his execution.

The agreement was registered at the reconciliation committee's headquarters.

The mosque will be built in the Al-Khalediah district of Makkah.

Nasir Al-Zahrani, executive president of the reconciliation committee, said: "The committee's efforts were continuing even a few hours before the sentence was to be carried out.

“The efforts of all the members are highly appreciated and important in spreading the spirit of forgiveness among members of the public."