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Convict with academic distinction executed

By Our Special Correspondent 2015-05-07
LAHORE: Dr Zulfiqar Ali, who taught himself and many others during his 17-year imprisonment, was executed at the Kot Lakhpat Jail here on Wednesday for committing double murder.

He was hanged after the rejection of his mercy petition by the president.

The former Navy official was accused of killing Maratab and Rafique in 1998 in Barakahu, Islamabad, and sentenced to death.

Jail authorities said security was beefed up in and around theprison at the time of the execution.

His family was allowed a last meeting on Tuesday.

Murder convicts including terrorists are being executed across the country following the lifting of the moratorium on capital punishment after the Peshawar incident.

He left behind two daughters, Noor Fatima, 18, and Fiza, 17, both living with their relatives after their mother died of cancer in 2006.

Ali`s dead body was handed over to his relatives who took it to their ancestral village, Barakahu, Islamabad, for burial.

During his prolonged imprisonment and struggle against his deathprison at the time of the execution.

His family was allowed a last meeting on Tuesday.

Murder convicts including terrorists are being executed across the country following the lifting of the moratorium on capital punishment after the Peshawar incident.

He left behind two daughters, Noor Fatima, 18, and Fiza, 17, both living with their relatives after their mother died of cancer in 2006.

Ali`s dead body was handed over to his relatives who took it to their ancestral village, Barakahu, Islamabad, for burial.

During his prolonged imprisonment and struggle against his deathsentence by the trial court, Ali wrote a new prison history. He acquired the following diplomas and degrees: MA in political science; DHMS (a four-year homeopathy course); diploma in Islamic medical science (two-year course); diploma in the study of Islam (oneyear course); diploma in the study of hadith (one-year course); diploma in Ilm-ul-Tazeer (six-month course); diploma in banking (one-year course); diploma in journalism (one-year course), diploma in mass communication (one-year course), and a medical assistance course (one-year programme).

Apart from holding a doctoratein herbal medicine from Allama Iqbal Open University, he also obtained master`s degrees in Business Administration and English. He spread the light of knowledge among fellow prisoners too. By April 2009 when he was due to be hanged, 12 of his pupils had done graduation, 23 had passed the Intermediate examination and 18 had passed matriculation.

His quest for knowledge and spreading it to others earned him respect among his jailers. Called a teacher, he was taken as a role model and consulted on how to reform prisoners.