David Cameron urged to help British man on death row in Pakistan
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Version 0 of 1. The daughter of a British man on death row in Pakistan is urging David Cameron to intervene to save his life. Jasmine Rana is handing over a 70,000-signature petition for the Prime Minister asking him to help her father. Mohammad Asghar, who is 70 years old, was sentenced to death in January after writing letters to people claiming to be the prophet Mohammed. Mr Asghar, who has previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, has reportedly already been shot once by a prison guard while in his cell. The man’s daughter has travelled to London from Edinburgh, and has been promised a meeting with the Foreign Office’s "Middle East minister" Tobias Ellwood. Family solicitor Aamer Anwar told the Press Association that “every minute that passes increases the risk to Mohammad Asghar's life”. "It is no longer acceptable for the UK Government to hide behind a wall of silence whilst Mr Asghar's life hangs by a thread and we call upon the Prime Minister to personally and publicly hold the Pakistani government to account.” The Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who met Ms Rana on Wednesday, has already said he is “extremely concerned” about Mr Asghar’s welfare and said he would support a prisoner transfer agreement to return him home. A Downing Street spokesperson said the Government had repeatedly pressed the Pakistani government on the case “at senior levels”. The anti-execution charity Reprieve has taken up Mr Asghar’s case, and has also urged the Prime Minister to act. |