Pakistan suspends execution of Shoaib Sarwar

Pakistan called off the scheduled hanging of Shoaib Sarwar convicted on murder charges in what would have been the first execution of a civilian in six years, officials said on Wednesday.

Shoaib, convicted in 1998, was ordered to be hanged at Adiyala Prison in Rawalpindi city on Thursday, drawing outrage from national and international rights groups.

Officials said the execution also endangered a lucrative trade deal with the European Union.

A court on Tuesday ordered the hanging postponed for a month, a prison official said on condition of anonymity.