HARIPUR: Two convicts on death row would be hanged in Haripur Central Jail here on Tuesday (today), official sources said on Monday.

Jail sources said one of the convicts, Jan Bahadur of Mardan, was convicted of murder in 1997, while other, Amanullah of Dera Ismail Khan, was handed down death penalty for a murder in 2005.

Both the convicts were shifted to Haripur jail and their lawyers challenged the convictions but their appeals were rejected both from the high court and the apex court and their mercy petitions were also turned down by the president, which led to issuance of black warrants by the KP home secretary, last week. They were allowed last meetings with their families on Sunday.

According to jail authorities, there are now 100-plus condemned prisoners, including a woman, lodged in the death cells of the jail, while there are over 20 who have lost the appeals from the Supreme Court and their execution would be carried out once their mercy petitions are decided by the president.

It may be added that Haripur jail built n 1929 was without gallows until March 2015. However, after the APS attack when the PML-N government lifted moratorium on hangings, the jail authorities had to construct gallows where several condemned prisoners have been hanged so far.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2018