Give cylists helmets, but don't ticket them for not having one

To the editor: State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) wants to pass a law mandating helmets for all bicyclists. Some bicyclists say they are safer without helmets. The Times says we need a study. You are all wrong. ("Require bike helmets? There's not enough safety data," editorial, March 19)

Anyone whose head has hit the pavement in a bike accident knows the value of helmets. That includes my neighbor, who spent two months in the hospital and suffers permanent brain damage after her helmetless accident, and me, who walked away with only a slight headache after a similar but helmeted accident.

Many who ride bicycles do so because it is the only mode of transportation they can afford. Many would have trouble paying for a helmet. I used to see them every day on the Green Line. Don't fine these poor people, and instead of wasting money on a study, use the funds to buy helmets to give away at Metro stations.

Russell Stone, Westchester

..

To the editor: One aspect of the misguided mandatory bicycle helmet bill is Liu's failure to consider how her law would actually be enforced.

Police would surely say they have much higher priorities to handle than such a minor infraction. Not only is Liu's mandatory helmet law unsupported by any data, but it is also fiscally irresponsible to ask this of our law enforcement officers.

If Liu wanted to help improve street safety, her attention would be much better spent supporting bicycle infrastructure that would prevent crashes rather than demanding that law enforcement spend their time hunting down bareheaded cyclists.

Marc Caswell, Los Angeles

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Give cylists helmets, but don't ticket them for not having one

To the editor: State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) wants to pass a law mandating helmets for all bicyclists. Some bicyclists say they are safer without helmets. The Times says we need a study. You are all wrong. ("Require bike helmets? There's not enough safety data," editorial, March 19)

Anyone whose head has hit the pavement in a bike accident knows the value of helmets. That includes my neighbor, who spent two months in the hospital and suffers permanent brain damage after her helmetless accident, and me, who walked away with only a slight headache after a similar but helmeted accident.

Many who ride bicycles do so because it is the only mode of transportation they can afford. Many would have trouble paying for a helmet. I used to see them every day on the Green Line. Don't fine these poor people, and instead of wasting money on a study, use the funds to buy helmets to give away at Metro stations.

Russell Stone, Westchester

..

To the editor: One aspect of the misguided mandatory bicycle helmet bill is Liu's failure to consider how her law would actually be enforced.

Police would surely say they have much higher priorities to handle than such a minor infraction. Not only is Liu's mandatory helmet law unsupported by any data, but it is also fiscally irresponsible to ask this of our law enforcement officers.

If Liu wanted to help improve street safety, her attention would be much better spent supporting bicycle infrastructure that would prevent crashes rather than demanding that law enforcement spend their time hunting down bareheaded cyclists.

Marc Caswell, Los Angeles

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

16.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Give cylists helmets, but don't ticket them for not having one

To the editor: State Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge) wants to pass a law mandating helmets for all bicyclists. Some bicyclists say they are safer without helmets. The Times says we need a study. You are all wrong. ("Require bike helmets? There's not enough safety data," editorial, March 19)

Anyone whose head has hit the pavement in a bike accident knows the value of helmets. That includes my neighbor, who spent two months in the hospital and suffers permanent brain damage after her helmetless accident, and me, who walked away with only a slight headache after a similar but helmeted accident.

Many who ride bicycles do so because it is the only mode of transportation they can afford. Many would have trouble paying for a helmet. I used to see them every day on the Green Line. Don't fine these poor people, and instead of wasting money on a study, use the funds to buy helmets to give away at Metro stations.

Russell Stone, Westchester

..

To the editor: One aspect of the misguided mandatory bicycle helmet bill is Liu's failure to consider how her law would actually be enforced.

Police would surely say they have much higher priorities to handle than such a minor infraction. Not only is Liu's mandatory helmet law unsupported by any data, but it is also fiscally irresponsible to ask this of our law enforcement officers.

If Liu wanted to help improve street safety, her attention would be much better spent supporting bicycle infrastructure that would prevent crashes rather than demanding that law enforcement spend their time hunting down bareheaded cyclists.

Marc Caswell, Los Angeles

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook 

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Milos Raonic barges in on dream semifinals with upset of Rafael Nadal

It was a done deal in the desert. Then it wasn't.

World-ranking Nos. 1 and 4, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, made it to the semifinals a day earlier. Then, No. 2 Roger Federer took apart Tomas Berdych like a biology student working on a frog.

Friday at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells brought another day of gorgeous sunshine, gently swaying palm trees and lots of tennis fans in a state-of-the-art stadium. Anticipation was about as big as the 16,000-plus crowd.

The last time the Big Four of men's tennis had all made it to the semifinals was the 2012 Australian Open. The last time the top four seeded men's players had achieved that at this Indian Wells event was 1987.

So, all that remained was for No. 3 Rafael Nadal to do what he has always done against Milos Raonic, a 24-year-old Canadian, who is 6 feet 5 and serves like it. Nadal had faced Raonic five times previously and won all five. In those matches, Raonic had won a set. Just one.

A Federer-Nadal match — anywhere, any time — gets the blood boiling in tennis fans. They have played 33 times, Nadal winning 23 of those. In finals, Nadal is 14-6.

They played for 4 hours 48 minutes in a 2008 Wimbledon final that many think was the singular match of all time. Nadal won in five sets and ended Federer's 65-match, grass-court winning streak. Several other of their remaining 32 matches also make tennis fans' top 10.

Federer certainly did his part here Friday. His 6-4, 6-0 walk in the park over poor, stunned Berdych ranked with his best Muhammad Ali tennis. When he plays like this, Federer floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. His shots don't hit lines, they tick them and explode. He gets to shots before shots get to him.

He will turn 34 in August. Tennis journalists have stopped asking him about age. The conclusion is obvious. Everybody else gets old. Federer apparently went along with Ponce de Leon on the apocryphal exploration trip to Florida in the early 1500s to find the Fountain of Youth. De Leon didn't find it. Federer did.

He's always been almost as good a diplomat as a player.

"I'm just very happy I'm playing at the level I'm playing," he said, "and that I can put myself in contention to win almost any tournament."

Berdych laughed when asked if there were something he could have done to turn around the match's momentum.

"No," Berdych said. "He was doing pretty much everything perfect."

So, in the second match, was Nadal, against a vastly improved Raonic. He broke serve at 1-1 of the first set and ran it out for a 6-4 victory.

Then he got a break point in the first game of the second set, two more at 2-2 and one more at 4-4. Nadal plays, and always has, like a bulldog clamped down on your pants leg. But Raonic, shockingly, kept shaking loose.

Once it got to the tiebreaker and Raonic continued to shake loose, there was a feeling of the turning of the tide. In the tiebreaker, Nadal had three match points and won none of them. In Vegas, you could get great odds against that ever happening to the most determined, focused player in the sport.

On the first match point, Raonic hit a 134-mph serve and followed it with a big ground stroke. The next one, at 8-7, Raonic hit an overhead off a Nadal lob from the baseline. Too bad they didn't have the speed gun on it.

Then, at 10-9, Nadal hit into the net.

Raonic won on his third set point, when Nadal netted another shot. And so, the final set began with the feeling of, oops, this could very well happen.

Raonic started his service game for the match, at 6-5, with a 146-mph ace. At 30-15, he hit one 130, Nadal challenged and lost to the Hawkeye camera. Now, it was Raonic's match point.

Which was achieved, for the 4-6, 7-6 (10), 7-5 victory with a 143-mph first serve that set up Nadal's final wide shot.

The Spaniard with 14 major titles to his name, three shy of Federer, packed up, whirled at midcourt to wave to and acknowledge the fans, and even stopped to sign some autographs. In the stands, the Canadian flags were waving in all corners. Raonic, in a nod to the many snowbirds on hand, called this Southern California desert "as close to home as I can get."

Nadal, who still feels he is in recovery mode after missing months of last season because of a wrist injury and appendicitis surgery, said, "I'm happy with the way I played. I'm happy with the way I competed ¿ I'm not happy that I lost."

Raonic said, "This isn't where it ends ... It's always, OK, what is next?"

What is next is still a pretty good show: Djokovic vs. Murray, Federer vs. the interloper.

bill.dwyre@latimes.com

Twitter: @DwyreLATimes

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Milos Raonic barges in on dream semifinals with upset of Rafael Nadal

It was a done deal in the desert. Then it wasn't.

World-ranking Nos. 1 and 4, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, made it to the semifinals a day earlier. Then, No. 2 Roger Federer took apart Tomas Berdych like a biology student working on a frog.

Friday at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells brought another day of gorgeous sunshine, gently swaying palm trees and lots of tennis fans in a state-of-the-art stadium. Anticipation was about as big as the 16,000-plus crowd.

The last time the Big Four of men's tennis had all made it to the semifinals was the 2012 Australian Open. The last time the top four seeded men's players had achieved that at this Indian Wells event was 1987.

So, all that remained was for No. 3 Rafael Nadal to do what he has always done against Milos Raonic, a 24-year-old Canadian, who is 6 feet 5 and serves like it. Nadal had faced Raonic five times previously and won all five. In those matches, Raonic had won a set. Just one.

A Federer-Nadal match — anywhere, any time — gets the blood boiling in tennis fans. They have played 33 times, Nadal winning 23 of those. In finals, Nadal is 14-6.

They played for 4 hours 48 minutes in a 2008 Wimbledon final that many think was the singular match of all time. Nadal won in five sets and ended Federer's 65-match, grass-court winning streak. Several other of their remaining 32 matches also make tennis fans' top 10.

Federer certainly did his part here Friday. His 6-4, 6-0 walk in the park over poor, stunned Berdych ranked with his best Muhammad Ali tennis. When he plays like this, Federer floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. His shots don't hit lines, they tick them and explode. He gets to shots before shots get to him.

He will turn 34 in August. Tennis journalists have stopped asking him about age. The conclusion is obvious. Everybody else gets old. Federer apparently went along with Ponce de Leon on the apocryphal exploration trip to Florida in the early 1500s to find the Fountain of Youth. De Leon didn't find it. Federer did.

He's always been almost as good a diplomat as a player.

"I'm just very happy I'm playing at the level I'm playing," he said, "and that I can put myself in contention to win almost any tournament."

Berdych laughed when asked if there were something he could have done to turn around the match's momentum.

"No," Berdych said. "He was doing pretty much everything perfect."

So, in the second match, was Nadal, against a vastly improved Raonic. He broke serve at 1-1 of the first set and ran it out for a 6-4 victory.

Then he got a break point in the first game of the second set, two more at 2-2 and one more at 4-4. Nadal plays, and always has, like a bulldog clamped down on your pants leg. But Raonic, shockingly, kept shaking loose.

Once it got to the tiebreaker and Raonic continued to shake loose, there was a feeling of the turning of the tide. In the tiebreaker, Nadal had three match points and won none of them. In Vegas, you could get great odds against that ever happening to the most determined, focused player in the sport.

On the first match point, Raonic hit a 134-mph serve and followed it with a big ground stroke. The next one, at 8-7, Raonic hit an overhead off a Nadal lob from the baseline. Too bad they didn't have the speed gun on it.

Then, at 10-9, Nadal hit into the net.

Raonic won on his third set point, when Nadal netted another shot. And so, the final set began with the feeling of, oops, this could very well happen.

Raonic started his service game for the match, at 6-5, with a 146-mph ace. At 30-15, he hit one 130, Nadal challenged and lost to the Hawkeye camera. Now, it was Raonic's match point.

Which was achieved, for the 4-6, 7-6 (10), 7-5 victory with a 143-mph first serve that set up Nadal's final wide shot.

The Spaniard with 14 major titles to his name, three shy of Federer, packed up, whirled at midcourt to wave to and acknowledge the fans, and even stopped to sign some autographs. In the stands, the Canadian flags were waving in all corners. Raonic, in a nod to the many snowbirds on hand, called this Southern California desert "as close to home as I can get."

Nadal, who still feels he is in recovery mode after missing months of last season because of a wrist injury and appendicitis surgery, said, "I'm happy with the way I played. I'm happy with the way I competed ¿ I'm not happy that I lost."

Raonic said, "This isn't where it ends ... It's always, OK, what is next?"

What is next is still a pretty good show: Djokovic vs. Murray, Federer vs. the interloper.

bill.dwyre@latimes.com

Twitter: @DwyreLATimes

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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U.S. veterans return to Iwo Jima for 70th anniversary

Dozens of aging U.S. veterans gathered on the tiny, barren island of Iwo Jima on Saturday to mark one of the bloodiest and most iconic battles of World War II 70 years ago.

The vets, many in the early 90s and some in wheelchairs, toured the black sand beaches where they invaded the deeply dug-in forces of the island's Japanese defenders.

They were bused to the top of Mount Suribachi, an active volcano, where an Associated Press photo of the raising of the U.S. flag while the battle was still raging became a potent symbol of hope and valor to the war-weary public back home that was growing increasingly disillusioned with the seemingly unending battle in the Pacific.

For some of the veterans, the return to the island where many of their comrades died and which is still inhabited only by a contingent of Japanese military troops, brought out difficult emotions.

"I hated them," said former Sgt. John Roy Coltrane, 93, of Siler City, North Carolina. "For 40 years, I wouldn't even buy anything made in Japan. But now I drive a Honda."

Speeches at the Reunion of Honor ceremony held near the invasion beach were made by senior Japanese politicians, descendants of the few Japanese who survived the battle. Also speaking were the U.S. secretary of the Navy and the commandant of the Marine Corps, who noted that the battle for Iwo Jima remains at the "very ethos" of the Marine Corps today.

The Marines invaded Iwo Jima in February 1945, and it was only declared secured after more than a month of fighting. About 70,000 U.S. troops fought more than 20,000 Japanese — only 216 Japanese were captured as POWs and the rest are believed to have been either killed in action or to have taken their own lives.

The island was declared secure on March 16, 1945, but skirmishes continued. In about 36 days of battle, nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines were killed and 20,000 wounded.

Though a tiny volcanic crag, the island — now called Ioto on Japanese maps — was deemed strategically important because it was being used by the Japanese to launch air attacks on American bombers. After its capture, it was used by U.S. as an emergency landing site for B-29s, which eventually made 2,900 emergency landings there that are estimated to have saved the lives of 24,000 airmen who would have otherwise had to crash at sea.

All told, 27 Medals of Honor were awarded for action in the battle, more than any other in U.S. military history.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Lakers suffer their 50th defeat of the season, 80-73 to Utah

The Lakers had beat the Jazz the last time the teams played, in Utah last month, which only seemed to inspire the Jazz to win nine of 11 games since that defeat.

So when the teams met Thursday night at Staples Center, the Lakers were unable to duplicate the feat in dropping an 80-73 game to the Jazz.

The Lakers lost their fourth consecutive game, scoring a season low in points in the process.

Tarik Black had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Wesley Johnson had 12 points, but the Lakers still dropped to 17-50.

"It's the same story I've been telling the guys," Lakers Coach Byron Scott said. "If we don't trust each other and move the ball and do all the little things that we have to do, then it's a struggle. That's basically what it was."

The Lakers knew they were going up against one the NBA's best shot blockers in Utah's Rudy Gobert, a

7-foot-1 center with a long wingspan and the leaping ability to alter shots at the rim.

But that didn't mean the Lakers weren't going to attack Gobert, who entered the game averaging 2.8 blocks per game since he became a starter for the Jazz 14 games ago.

Rookie Jordan Clarkson was the first to try Gobert early in the first quarter, seeing his shot redirected in an easy manner.

Then Black went inside against Gobert, and Black also had his shot blocked later in the first.

Now that Gobert had the Lakers' full attention, Black went back inside and shot an awful-looking hook shot over Gobert, the ball floating over the rim for an airball.

But Black stepped up and dunked on Gobert a few plays later, drawing smiles from his teammates sitting on the Lakers' bench.

Black wasn't done, throwing down a dunk on Gobert on the fast break. As he ran back down court, Blake glared at Gobert.

A few plays later, Black tried to dunk on Gobert again, but the shot was blocked. The two stood next to each other while Jordan Hill shot two free throws and smiled, Black and Gobert acknowledging each other's play.

Gobert did finish with three blocked shots.

"As far as shots go, you have to take off quick or try to finish strong or float the ball as high as you can," Black said. "He's been one of the best shot blockers in the league since he's gotten that starting job."

Jeremy Lin of the Lakers had been dealing with back spasms, but was able to play 22:28 through his pain.

So it gave more playing time to Jabari Brown, whose 10-day contract expires Friday. Brown had seven points.

"I anticipate that he'll be back," Scott said about signing Brown to a second 10-day contract.

The Lakers couldn't stop Trey Burke late in the game. His back-to-back baskets gave the Jazz what turned out to be a comfortable five-point lead in the fourth. Burke finished with 17 points.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Lakers suffer their 50th defeat of the season, 80-73 to Utah

The Lakers had beat the Jazz the last time the teams played, in Utah last month, which only seemed to inspire the Jazz to win nine of 11 games since that defeat.

So when the teams met Thursday night at Staples Center, the Lakers were unable to duplicate the feat in dropping an 80-73 game to the Jazz.

The Lakers lost their fourth consecutive game, scoring a season low in points in the process.

Tarik Black had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Wesley Johnson had 12 points, but the Lakers still dropped to 17-50.

"It's the same story I've been telling the guys," Lakers Coach Byron Scott said. "If we don't trust each other and move the ball and do all the little things that we have to do, then it's a struggle. That's basically what it was."

The Lakers knew they were going up against one the NBA's best shot blockers in Utah's Rudy Gobert, a

7-foot-1 center with a long wingspan and the leaping ability to alter shots at the rim.

But that didn't mean the Lakers weren't going to attack Gobert, who entered the game averaging 2.8 blocks per game since he became a starter for the Jazz 14 games ago.

Rookie Jordan Clarkson was the first to try Gobert early in the first quarter, seeing his shot redirected in an easy manner.

Then Black went inside against Gobert, and Black also had his shot blocked later in the first.

Now that Gobert had the Lakers' full attention, Black went back inside and shot an awful-looking hook shot over Gobert, the ball floating over the rim for an airball.

But Black stepped up and dunked on Gobert a few plays later, drawing smiles from his teammates sitting on the Lakers' bench.

Black wasn't done, throwing down a dunk on Gobert on the fast break. As he ran back down court, Blake glared at Gobert.

A few plays later, Black tried to dunk on Gobert again, but the shot was blocked. The two stood next to each other while Jordan Hill shot two free throws and smiled, Black and Gobert acknowledging each other's play.

Gobert did finish with three blocked shots.

"As far as shots go, you have to take off quick or try to finish strong or float the ball as high as you can," Black said. "He's been one of the best shot blockers in the league since he's gotten that starting job."

Jeremy Lin of the Lakers had been dealing with back spasms, but was able to play 22:28 through his pain.

So it gave more playing time to Jabari Brown, whose 10-day contract expires Friday. Brown had seven points.

"I anticipate that he'll be back," Scott said about signing Brown to a second 10-day contract.

The Lakers couldn't stop Trey Burke late in the game. His back-to-back baskets gave the Jazz what turned out to be a comfortable five-point lead in the fourth. Burke finished with 17 points.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Lakers suffer their 50th defeat of the season, 80-73 to Utah

The Lakers had beat the Jazz the last time the teams played, in Utah last month, which only seemed to inspire the Jazz to win nine of 11 games since that defeat.

So when the teams met Thursday night at Staples Center, the Lakers were unable to duplicate the feat in dropping an 80-73 game to the Jazz.

The Lakers lost their fourth consecutive game, scoring a season low in points in the process.

Tarik Black had 13 points and 10 rebounds and Wesley Johnson had 12 points, but the Lakers still dropped to 17-50.

"It's the same story I've been telling the guys," Lakers Coach Byron Scott said. "If we don't trust each other and move the ball and do all the little things that we have to do, then it's a struggle. That's basically what it was."

The Lakers knew they were going up against one the NBA's best shot blockers in Utah's Rudy Gobert, a

7-foot-1 center with a long wingspan and the leaping ability to alter shots at the rim.

But that didn't mean the Lakers weren't going to attack Gobert, who entered the game averaging 2.8 blocks per game since he became a starter for the Jazz 14 games ago.

Rookie Jordan Clarkson was the first to try Gobert early in the first quarter, seeing his shot redirected in an easy manner.

Then Black went inside against Gobert, and Black also had his shot blocked later in the first.

Now that Gobert had the Lakers' full attention, Black went back inside and shot an awful-looking hook shot over Gobert, the ball floating over the rim for an airball.

But Black stepped up and dunked on Gobert a few plays later, drawing smiles from his teammates sitting on the Lakers' bench.

Black wasn't done, throwing down a dunk on Gobert on the fast break. As he ran back down court, Blake glared at Gobert.

A few plays later, Black tried to dunk on Gobert again, but the shot was blocked. The two stood next to each other while Jordan Hill shot two free throws and smiled, Black and Gobert acknowledging each other's play.

Gobert did finish with three blocked shots.

"As far as shots go, you have to take off quick or try to finish strong or float the ball as high as you can," Black said. "He's been one of the best shot blockers in the league since he's gotten that starting job."

Jeremy Lin of the Lakers had been dealing with back spasms, but was able to play 22:28 through his pain.

So it gave more playing time to Jabari Brown, whose 10-day contract expires Friday. Brown had seven points.

"I anticipate that he'll be back," Scott said about signing Brown to a second 10-day contract.

The Lakers couldn't stop Trey Burke late in the game. His back-to-back baskets gave the Jazz what turned out to be a comfortable five-point lead in the fourth. Burke finished with 17 points.

Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times

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Pakistan halts execution of man convicted as 14-year-old

Pakistani officials said Thursday that they had issued a temporary reprieve to a man who was due to be executed for a crime allegedly committed when he was 14, in a case that has drawn worldwide attention.

Hours before Shafqat Hussain was to be hanged early Thursday morning, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan asked the president of Pakistan for a delay pending a re-examination of the case, including his age and reports that he was severely tortured before he confessed.

There were conflicting reports about the length of the delay. A spokesman for the government in Sindh province, where Hussain is imprisoned, tweeted that the execution was stayed for three days; family members told The Times the delay was indefinite.

The decision followed a passionate advocacy campaign by Hussain's family, lawyers and domestic and international human rights groups, which have criticized Pakistan for lifting a moratorium on capital punishment three months ago. The government has since executed nearly 40 prisoners, including 12 in one day earlier this week.

"I am thankful to lawyers, media, human rights organizations, civil society and the international community for this," Hussain's brother Gul Zaman said in an interview. "I am so happy that the government has decided to halt his execution. We hope to get justice."

His mother, Makhani Begum, 86, said she was unable to sleep after receiving word of the reprieve shortly before midnight Thursday.

"I offered prayers and thanked God all night," she said.

Lawyers for Hussain, who was convicted at age 14 of killing a child in 2004, say his confession was extracted by torture. Police in the port city of Karachi allegedly placed him in solitary confinement, burned him with cigarette butts, removed his fingernails and administered electric shocks to his genitals, according to advocacy groups who have studied his case.

His family hails from the Pakistani portion of Kashmir – the disputed mountain territory that lies along the Indian border – and was too poor to afford a good lawyer in the early stages of his case, family members said. His mother has not been able to visit him since 2006 due to financial constraints.

On Wednesday night, Hussain handed a will to his brother Gul Zaman at Central Jail in Karachi.

"He told me that he was innocent," Zaman said. "He said that his murder would be on the people in power who would be answerable for this on judgment day,"

Days earlier, Khan, the interior minister, said in parliament that Hussain's case should not be politicized, adding that his appeals had been exhausted.

Human rights groups have called the prosection of Hussain extremely flawed, including the decision to try him before the controversial Anti-Terrorism Court when his case was not a national security matter. They have also criticized Pakistan for imposing the death penalty against people who were younger than 18 at the time of the crime, in violation of international laws.

After not carrying out executions for several years, Pakistan lifted a ban on capital punishment in December as part of tough new policies against terrorism following the Pakistani Taliban's massacre of 132 children at an army-run school.

Of the estimated 8,000 inmates on Pakistan's death row, about 800 are believed to be juveniles, according to a recent report by the British-based charity Reprieve and the nonprofit advocacy group Justice Project Pakistan.

"Minister Nisar must at last conduct the full and proper inquiry into Shafqat's case that was initially promised, and stay all other impending executions while he works out how many of those people may have been tortured into 'confessing' to crimes when they were children," Reprieve said in a statement.

Although relieved, Hussain's family was badly shaken by the news of his impending execution. His 84-year-old father Shazullah went missing Wednesday morning and had not been located as of Thursday afternoon, Hussain's brother Manzoor said.

Hussain's mother said she could not travel to Karachi but was hoping for his conviction to be overturned.

"I do not have money to travel to Karachi," she said. "Please, pray that my son will come to me as soon as possible. I cannot wait. I want to talk to him."

Sahi is a special correspondent. Staff writer Bengali reported from Kolkata, India.

For more news from South Asia, follow @SBengali on Twitter

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