ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a petition filed by death row convict Saulat Mirza against the return of the second review plea.

Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk presided over an in-chamber hearing of an appeal against a decision of the Supreme Court office to return the second review petition by target killer Saulat Mirza who is to be hanged at Machh Jail in Balochistan.

The court office returned the petition, filed by Advocate Sardar Latif Khosa on Jan 6 on behalf of Saulat Mirza, on the grounds that a three-judge SC bench headed by Justice Syed Deedar Hussain Shah had already dismissed the earlier review petition on March 9.

Advocate Sardar Latif Khosa then submitted a petition challenging the office's decision to return the petition however the court rejected the petition, reinforcing the office's objections.

Examine: CJ takes up today Saulat Mirza’s appeal against return of review plea

Last week, jail authorities had approached the trial court and asked it to issue black warrant for the condemned prisoner since his appeals had been turned down by the higher courts and his mercy petition was also dismissed by the president.

Judge Mohammad Javed Alam of ATC-V had issued the black warrant and asked the superintendent of Mach jail in Balochistan to hang him till death at 5:30am on March 19.

The court had also asked the jail authorities to carry out the execution under the supervision of a judicial magistrate after fulfilling legal formalities.

Saulat Mirza, a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, was sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court on May 24, 1999, for killing the then managing director of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, Shahid Hamid, and his driver and a guard on July 5, 1997, in Karachi. He was arrested on Dec 10, 1998, from the Karachi Airport on his return from Bangkok.

SHC rejects plea challenging Saulat Mirza's execution in Machh jail

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday rejected the plea submitted by the sister of death row prisoner Saulat Mirza challenging his execution in Balochistan's Machh jail.

Mirza's sister Samira Wajahat petitioned to the Sindh High Court (SHC), saying that the ATC's orders regarding implementation of her brother's execution in Machh jail should be stopped.

Her application further said that her brother should be hanged in Karachi's Central Jail as the trial took place in Karachi. She added that bringing Mirza back to Karachi will allow the family and relatives to have their last meeting with him as traveling to Balochistan is not feasible for all.

Last week, the SHC had disposed of a petition filed by Wajahat challenging his death warrant and had advised her to approach the Supreme Court.

Examine: SHC disposes of plea challenging Saulat Mirza death warrant

Separately, the family of the condemned prisoner reached Machh jail to meet him for one last time.

Saulat Mirza, along with some other high-profile prisoners, was shifted from Karachi to Mach prison in April last year. A brother of Saulat Mirza had earlier moved the Sindh High Court in May, seeking his transfer back to Karachi prison. The SHC disposed of the petition since the provincial authorities had informed it that he had been moved to Mach jail for security reasons.

The SHC dismissed the appeal of Saulat Mirza in 2000 and the Supreme Court turned down his plea against capital punishment in 2001, while a review petition was rejected by the apex court in 2004.

Take a look: Saulat Mirza to be executed on 19th