A presidential order imposing a moratorium on the death penalty, issued in 2008, expired on June 30. PHOTO: FILE
Under the previous government led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), no one except a soldier convicted by court martial was put to death since 2008.
But the PPP suffered a crushing defeat in historic elections on May 11, which swept to power the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
A presidential order imposing a moratorium on the death penalty, issued in 2008, expired on 30 June.
In Pakistan, all executions must be approved by the president. The PPP's Asif Ali Zardari is due to step down in August and the parliament controlled by the PML-N will elect a new head of state.
"The new government has decided to deal with all cases of execution on merit," said interior ministry spokesman Umer Hameed.
"The government has given clear instructions to see all such cases on a case-by-case basis and there will be no general amnesty for the convicts waiting for execution," he told AFP.
London-based rights group Amnesty International on Wednesday called for an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
"Any government green light to resume executions in Pakistan would be a shocking and retrograde step, putting thousands of people's lives at risk," said Polly Truscott, Amnesty's deputy Asia Pacific director.
Amnesty estimates that Pakistan has more than 8,000 prisoners on death row, most of whom have exhausted the appeals process and could now be facing execution.
"The sheer number of people at risk makes the new government policy of turning back to the death penalty even more horrendous," said Truscott.
The interior ministry spokesman said up to 450 convicts are awaiting execution and their cases will be examined.
The government will show sympathy towards convicts who fall into a "special category" such as women and the elderly, he said.
Country's crowded prisons lack basic facilities for inmates and the country normally deals harshly with prisoners.
It also suffers daily militant attacks blamed on extremists linked to the Taliban and al Qaeda, as well as chronic crime in its largest cities.
"Resuming executions would do nothing to tackle crime or militancy, but instead just perpetuate a cycle of violence," said Amnesty's Truscott.
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COMMENTS (17)
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Finally some good from this government. Its the lack of capital punishments that has led to the rise in confidence of murder convicts who have the audacity to come out of the court after a death sentence and raise the victory sign. The government should not waste any time in implementing this.
Don't further delay the justice. Execute them ASAP.
So let's start with hanging Mumtaz Qadri.
Let the killing begin...Pakistan says it wants to be a completely Islamic state with laws like blasphemy where someone can be put to death for what they say about religion...go ahead...show the world what a barbaric 7 th century lifestyle looks like in the 21st century...the Taliban/TTP will feel right at home when they take over...
@omz but we are an ISLAMIC Repulic none da less....so what u r saying is that thier should not be any form of capital punishment for murderers, killers, rapers etc and they should be given a clean slate to do what ever they like without any form of detterent law to prohibit such cases from hapening in the first place.....this kind of law will only lead to chaos.....
Govt should first start hanging terrorists who have killed innocent Pakistanis and our soldiers. No mercy for animals!
And, West should try to understand that Pakistan is facing unprecedented challenges and it needs to do something for terrorists.
@Saad: He has been awarded capital punishment by district court. He still maintains the legal right of lodging an appeal in SHC, SCP and then the President of Pakistan.
@Muhammad Nadeem:
irrelevant as we are not a sharia state. please take your religious dogma somewhere else
Great news, I hope Qadri is the first one to be taken to the gallows!
Know who should be hanged first? Mumtaz Qadri. But they never will.
Its one of the fundamental tenants in islamic law to execute murderers and killers to detter other people from doing such acts.....amnesty international is another puppet of western govts to interfere in the internal matters of other countries they should not be takken seriously....
@Javed: Why kill them? Prison is a worse punishment when you think about it.
How will hanging affect the EU enhanced trade and tariff concessions.?
Great decision. We should run the country our way! We don't need any lessons of humanity from anyone.
Amnesty International didn't said a word when Ajmal Kassab executed in India. Militants killing our people daily and we can't execute them even by LAW.
The first one to be hanged should be Shah Rukh Jatoi
//The interior ministry spokesman said up to 450 convicts are awaiting execution and their cases will be examined.//
Just the building of city court rolled before my eyes.