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| Death row man speaks of freedom | Death row man speaks of freedom |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Leeds man has spoken out for the first time about spending 18 years on death row in Pakistan and the killing for which he was jailed. | |
| Mirza Tahir Hussain, 36, was freed this month after Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf commuted his sentence. | |
| He was convicted in 1988 of murdering taxi-driver Jamshed Khan but always said the killing was in self-defence. | He was convicted in 1988 of murdering taxi-driver Jamshed Khan but always said the killing was in self-defence. |
| In the interview with the BBC's Asian Network he expressed sympathy for Mr Khan's family. | |
| Mr Hussain has returned to the UK and is staying in a secret location in the north of England while he adjusts to life outside of prison. | |
| In the interview he explained how during a taxi journey from Rawalpindi, Mr Khan had pulled a gun on him and demanded valuables, and a struggle ensued. | |
| I'm sorry for her son's death in such circumstances and in that way Mira Tahir Hussain | I'm sorry for her son's death in such circumstances and in that way Mira Tahir Hussain |
| "At the point where the gun was not aiming at me, I went for the gun and grabbed his wrist and in that ensuing scuffle the gun suddenly went off," he said. | "At the point where the gun was not aiming at me, I went for the gun and grabbed his wrist and in that ensuing scuffle the gun suddenly went off," he said. |
| "The gun was still in his hand, so I was trying to snatch it from him and there must have been some kind of pressure on the trigger." | "The gun was still in his hand, so I was trying to snatch it from him and there must have been some kind of pressure on the trigger." |
| Mr Hussain also talked of how his prison cell was just yards from the gallows he faced being sent to for many years, and said he could hear the hangings of other inmates. | Mr Hussain also talked of how his prison cell was just yards from the gallows he faced being sent to for many years, and said he could hear the hangings of other inmates. |
| He said: "We [could] hear the guards and all the officials gathering for this purpose, and when the inmate is made to stand on the trapdoor. | He said: "We [could] hear the guards and all the officials gathering for this purpose, and when the inmate is made to stand on the trapdoor. |
| "And when the trapdoor opened we [knew] somebody had just been hanged." | "And when the trapdoor opened we [knew] somebody had just been hanged." |
| Settlement refused | Settlement refused |
| Despite explaining the death of Mr Khan was an accident, he said he felt sympathy for his mother, who is furious about the decision to release him. | Despite explaining the death of Mr Khan was an accident, he said he felt sympathy for his mother, who is furious about the decision to release him. |
| "As a Muslim I mean, I cannot reverse all this, but I can understand how it feels," he said. | "As a Muslim I mean, I cannot reverse all this, but I can understand how it feels," he said. |
| "I'm sorry for her son's death in such circumstances and in that way." | "I'm sorry for her son's death in such circumstances and in that way." |
| Authorities had hoped a blood-money settlement, permitted under Islamic law, could be reached with the dead man's family but they refused. | Authorities had hoped a blood-money settlement, permitted under Islamic law, could be reached with the dead man's family but they refused. |
| Mr Khan's family have said they plan to appeal against the decision to commute Mr Hussain's sentence. | Mr Khan's family have said they plan to appeal against the decision to commute Mr Hussain's sentence. |