President to meet Afzal's family on Thursday

NEW DELHI: President A P J Abdul Kalam will meet on Thursday members of the family of Mohammed Afzal Guru, facing execution in the Parliament terror attack case as Union Home Ministry began consultations with the Delhi Government over the clemency petition filed by the convict's family.
Afzal's wife, Tabbassum, his mother Ayesha Begum and his seven-year-old son Ghalib will be meeting the President along with lawyers Nandita Haksar and N D Panchauli for a hearing on Thursday afternoon.
As protests by separatist organisations from Jammu and Kashmir continued, Delhi-based human rights groups and other noted activists and intellectuals, the Union Home Minsitry began consultations with Delhi Government over the clemency petition submitted by Tabassum at the President's office.
The Ministry also informed the Tihar Jail about initiating proceedings on the clemency petition after which the prison authority would put on hold the hanging, which had been fixed for October 20 by the Supreme Court.
The issue of clemency also figured on the sidelines of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee meeting as Left parties raised the issue with the Home Minister enquiring whether the capital punishment could be converted into a lifer.
"We have not formally raised it. I am not talking about clemency... Supreme Court has given its verdict and we stand by it. We only enquired whether the death sentence could be converted into a life sentence," CPI General Secretary told reporters after the meeting.