A former MQM activist, who has accused party chief Altaf Hussain of ordering target killings, will be hanged on April 1, jail officials said, despite reports that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked the President to postpone his execution.
"We have not received any orders to stay the hanging and since the anti-terrorism court in Karachi has reissued fresh black warrant for Saulat Mirza, he will be hanged as per schedule early morning," Machh Jail Superintendent Ishaq Zehri said.
Earlier, reports said that Prime Minister Sharif had advised President Mamnoon Hussain to stay the execution of Mirza for 30 days.
Mirza was due to be hanged on March 19 but hours before his execution a video of his confessional statement was released to some television channels in which he made serious allegations against Hussain and other Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) members of being involved in killings and crime.
On the basis of his video statement, the Interior Ministry stayed his execution until further probe into the matter. However, the MQM questioned how a death row prisoner was allowed to record this statement.
Mirza has been on death row since 1999 for the killings of then Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) Chief Shahid Hamid, his guard and driver in 1998 in Karachi.
The former MQM worker, who rose quickly in the ranks of the party, was later disowned by the MQM after he became notorious for his target killings.
Zehri said that security had been beefed up in and around the jail for Mirza's hanging.
