LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday disposed of as premature a petition seeking public hanging for the killer of seven-year-old Zainab of Kasur.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan observed that the convict was yet to exhaust all forums of appeal available in the law and his death penalty had also not been confirmed by the high court. Therefore, the bench ruled that the instant petition was premature.

Advocate Ishtiaq Chaudhry, affiliated with the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, had filed the petition pleading that the court could issue an order to the government for public hanging of Imran, the convicted killer.

He argued that public hanging of the convict was necessary to create deterrence in society and to curb criminal tendency among people like Imran.

The lawyer further argued that no amendment in the law was required to carry out public execution of the convict. Therefore, he asked the court to issue a direction to the government to hang the convict publicly at the same place where he killed little Zainab.

The bench, however, disposed of the petition declaring it premature.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2018