All Pardoned Were Serving Two-Year Sentences; 48 Mercy Pleas Pending
January 02, 2025
Fire burns at Lahore’s Jinnah House — Reuters
- A total of 67 mercy pleas filed: ISPR
- 19 appeals approved on humanitarian grounds.
- Convicts to be released after completion of formalities.
RAWALPINDI: The sentences of 19 convicts were pardoned after their mercy appeals were accepted, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Thursday.
Out of 67 mercy pleas submitted, 48 have been processed to Courts of Appeal, while 19 appeals were approved purely on humanitarian grounds and in accordance with the law, said the military’s media wing.
The ISPR further clarified that decisions on the remaining pleas will follow due legal procedures. Those whose appeals were approved will be released after completing procedural formalities.
Referring to the April 2024 clemency of 20 convicts, the statement highlighted the “commitment to due process and principles of fairness, ensuring justice while considering compassion and mercy.”
Legal expert Muneeb Farooq explained that mercy appeals are submitted to the Chief of Army Staff.
The pardoned individuals, all sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment in December 2024, included Hassan Khan Niazi, nephew of PTI founder Imran Khan, sentenced to 10 years for his involvement in the Jinnah House incident.
