SARGODHA, April 21: The killers of two brothers were not yet executed despite dismissal of their appeal by the Supreme Court four years ago. Muhammad Bashir , the father of the slain brothers, alleged on Wednesday that some hidden hand in the presidency was trying to save the three condemned prisoners.

He said the black warrants for the convicts had thrice been issued, but someone from the presidency always issued stay orders on one pretext or the other. Now the president had fixed April 28 for the two parties to make a compromise.

Bashir, a miswak vendor, also said he and his wife had refused to compromise with the convicts, whose execution was being put off without any justification. He appealed to the president to order an inquiry into delay in the execution of Saeed, Waheed and Khursheed, threatening that he would set himself ablaze in front of the president's house on April 29 in case of further delay.

The two brothers were murdered in 1995 by a man and his four sons over a petty dispute of Rs140. Three of the accused were awarded death sentence and their father was given 10-year imprisonment. The youngest of the brothers was acquitted of the charge.

ROBBERIES: Two armed men plundered Rs280,000 from a man at Saleem village here on Wednesday. Reports said Tanveer Ahmad of Saleem village was returning home with Rs280,000 in cash when two armed men deprived him of the cash.