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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Death sentence 'lifted on Briton' | Death sentence 'lifted on Briton' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A British man sentenced to death by hanging in Pakistan has had his punishment commuted to a life sentence, Pakistani officials have said. | |
| The move follows intervention in the case of Mirza Tahir Hussain, 36, of Leeds, by President Pervez Musharraf. | |
| Hussain, who was convicted in 1989 of murdering taxi driver Jamshed Khan, could now be eligible for release. | Hussain, who was convicted in 1989 of murdering taxi driver Jamshed Khan, could now be eligible for release. |
| He has always maintained he had been acting in self defence after being sexually assaulted. | He has always maintained he had been acting in self defence after being sexually assaulted. |
| His supporters said they would be pressing the Pakistan authorities to free him immediately. | |
| I have been working with the family to secure Hussain's release and was planning a last minute plea next month which will now become a plea for his return to Leeds for Christmas Yorkshire and Humber MEP Edward McMillan-Scott Sajjad Karim, who led a delegation of MEPs to lobby President Musharraf earlier this year, said: "The next step we will be pushing for is an immediate release. | |
| "Hopefully, Mirza will be returning back home to Leeds very, very soon." | |
| Yorkshire and Humber MEP Edward McMillan-Scott said he planned to go to Pakistan in December to try to ensure Hussain was home before Christmas. | |
| He said: "I am delighted with the news. | |
| "I have been working with the family to secure Hussain's release and was planning a last minute plea next month which will now become a plea for his return to Leeds for Christmas." | |
| A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We haven't been officially notified, but we welcome reports from the government of Pakistan that the sentence has been commuted to life on humanitarian grounds." | |
| Royal intervention | |
| The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad said no further details were immediately available about where he would serve the sentence or whether he might be freed at some point. | The BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad said no further details were immediately available about where he would serve the sentence or whether he might be freed at some point. |
| Human rights groups such as Amnesty International, along with both UK and Euro MPs, had previously demanded that Hussain be pardoned. | Human rights groups such as Amnesty International, along with both UK and Euro MPs, had previously demanded that Hussain be pardoned. |
| The request for his life to be spared was reportedly made by Prince Charles, who recently toured Pakistan. | The request for his life to be spared was reportedly made by Prince Charles, who recently toured Pakistan. |
| Hussain's brother Amjad said his family would react to the news later on Thursday. | |
| He said they had not yet been given official confirmation from President Musharraf's office, but expected to receive it around 1030 GMT. | He said they had not yet been given official confirmation from President Musharraf's office, but expected to receive it around 1030 GMT. |
| He said: "The decision has not been officially confirmed... but if it is we are relieved, happy and are thankful to President Musharraf." | |
| Humanitarian pleas | Humanitarian pleas |
| Prime Minister Tony Blair previously said he had raised the matter personally with Mr Musharraf during the president's visit to the UK. | Prime Minister Tony Blair previously said he had raised the matter personally with Mr Musharraf during the president's visit to the UK. |
| The news comes ahead of Mr Blair's own impending visit to Pakistan. | The news comes ahead of Mr Blair's own impending visit to Pakistan. |
| Hussain's hanging was due to take place during the five-day royal trip by the prince and the Duchess of Cornwall in October, but it was initially delayed until 31 December after the prince wrote to Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz about the case. | Hussain's hanging was due to take place during the five-day royal trip by the prince and the Duchess of Cornwall in October, but it was initially delayed until 31 December after the prince wrote to Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz about the case. |
| He had been cleared by a high court in 1996 but an Islamic Sharia court took the case over and imposed the death penalty. | He had been cleared by a high court in 1996 but an Islamic Sharia court took the case over and imposed the death penalty. |
| The sentence could have been revoked if Khan's family had accepted an offer of blood money, but they refused. | The sentence could have been revoked if Khan's family had accepted an offer of blood money, but they refused. |