ANP leader urges govt not to hasten Saulat Mirza’s hanging

KARACHI: Awami National Party (ANP) leader Shahi Syed on Thursday urged the government not to hasten the execution of death row inmate Saulat Mirza, stressing that the "masterminds behind such criminals" also need to be brought to justice.

“Nothing will be achieved by only punishing criminals like Ajmal Pahari and Saulat Mirza. The people behind such criminals also need to be brought to justice,” said the ANP Sindh chief while speaking to Geo News anchor Shahzeb Khanzada.

Syed said that countries spend millions to protect key witnesses, and urged the Pakistani government to also treat Mirza's case with similar care.

“This is not merely about the life of one man. Thousands of Urdu-speaking citizens have been killed and hundreds of Pakhtoons have been martyred (in Karachi). All those who dared to speak up, their voices were silenced. We have witnessed all of this, there is nothing new in this for me,” he said.

“The government need not hurry in executing these witnesses. Instead, it should act to prosecute all others involved (in these crimes),” he said.

There can neither be peace in Karachi nor progress in Pakistan as long as the masterminds are not caught, he said.