Charles in plea to save Briton on Pakistan's death row

13 April 2012

Prince Charles has dramatically intervened in a bid to save the life of a British man facing the gallows in Pakistan.

In an unprecedented move, he has raised with the country's prime minister the case of Mirza Tahir Hussain, who is scheduled to be executed on November 1 - midway through his first royal tour of Pakistan.

Last night Charles rejected calls to cancel his visit in protest, as aides made clear he would watch developments closely in case he could help further.

Hussain, a former Territorial Army soldier from Leeds, is due to be executed for the murder of a taxi driver in 1988 when he was an 18-year-old on a family visit.

Held in custody ever since, he maintains that the driver, Jamshed Khan, drew a gun and tried to sexually assault him, and during a struggle the gun went off, killing the driver. Hussain was finally put on trial at the Lahore High Court in 1996 and acquitted of all charges.

A week later, however, it was declared that some of the alleged offences came within the jurisdiction of Islamic law and his case was referred to the Federal Sharia Court, which reversed the original decision and handed down the death penalty.

His family have battled against the execution and a number of stays have been granted by the Pakistani government. But earlier this week, Hussain's family were told that his execution will take place on November 1.

Yesterday the family's MP, Greg Mulholland, urged Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall not to go ahead with the trip.

Last night a spokesman for the prince said: "Following advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, their trip will be going ahead as planned.

"I would stress, however, that the prince has been concerned about this case for some time and recently raised it with the prime minister of Pakistan."

It is understood the Prince invited Pakistan premier Shaukat Aziz to Clarence House when he was on a visit to London in March and subsequently raised Hussain's case in a recent letter.

Asked if Charles would appeal for clemency in a planned meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the Prince's spokesman replied: "The situation will be assessed nearer the time on Foreign Office advice."

In Parliament yesterday, Tony Blair revealed that he had spoken to President Musharraf about the case on his recent visit to Britain and would continue to "make representations up until the very last moment".

Hussain's brother, Amjad, said: "This is now a matter of utmost urgency as time is fast running out for my brother.

"President Musharraf does have the power to step in and stop the execution of an innocent man - and he should exercise it."

Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: "The death penalty is always cruel and unnecessary and doesn't deter crime. But in Pakistan it is being applied after deeply dubious trials and in this case Amnesty International is particularly concerned that the Pakistani justice system will execute a man after an unfair trial."

Charles and Camilla are due to arrive in Pakistan on October 29 for a six-day tour. According to Clarence House, the main aim of the trip is to highlight the ongoing partnership between the two countries and promote inter-faith issues.

Many, however, view it as a sign of gratitude from Tony Blair and George Bush to President Musharraf in return for his support in their war against terror.

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