A 2008 moratorium on capital punishment imposed by the previous government expired on June 30. PHOTO: FILE
A 2008 moratorium on capital punishment imposed by the previous government expired on June 30 and the country had been due to execute two jailed militants in August - a plan described by the Tehreek-e-Taliban as an act of war.
"The government has decided to continue with the moratorium on capital punishment since it is aware of its international commitments and is following them," Interior Ministry spokesperson Omar Hamid said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led government originally said it wanted to reinstate the death penalty in a bid to crack down on criminals and militants in a move strongly criticised by international human rights groups.
Up to 8,000 people languish on death row in dozens of overcrowded and violent jails.
The moratorium drew praise because of concerns its courts and police were too inept to ensure the accused a fair trial. Pakistan did, however, break its own rules in 2012 when it executed a convicted murderer and a former army serviceman.
COMMENTS (22)
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Govt has chosen trade with EU over the death penalty - good decision if your goal is to improve the economy. Like it or not the EU and the USA are your largest export market and they purchase the highest margin products.
Human rights for animals , and criminals ? What about the culture this is giving rise to ! Is the govt chicken . They are scared of Taliban and international opinion ? Why don't they hand over the govt to them
Shame on Nawaz govt. for bowing in front of criminals. All committed criminals must be hanged immediately.
Then the government should immediately stop the operation in Karachi and let the people decide their fate by themselves. When the killer of 200 persons will have a chance to live his full life then what is the fun behind taking up this operation. I suggest my fellow Pakistanis to get ready for a civil war where people will take their revenge by themselves.
This is the gross violation of the Constitution and those guilty of this offence should be prosecuted and severely punished.
Death penalty should be abolished so that criminals can kill innocent citizens at will !!. Remember, one criminal sent to the gallows becomes a deterrent which save scores of innocent people from being killed by these criminals.
So they can behead our soldiers and we can't punish them for crimes against humanity? Depressing
"An act of war" ??
So, uptil now it was just foreplay?
Though shall not kill is God's commandment!! Welcome to civilisation and remove the capital punishment from the constition and restore the dignified freedom in the country. The European Union is the example for your judiciary.
Rex Minor
Pakistan is doing the right thing by keeping all hangings in abeyance. Hopefully that punishment will be completely removed from the statute someday. Then Pakistan will be worthy of emulation by India where the practice of hanging to satisfy "collective conscience of nation" still continues as seen in case of Afzal Guru & Ajmal Qasab.
Nawaz Sharif is a coward, and bows to the threat of the terrorists. He and his government don't have a spine to rise up to the militants. After 5 years, I doubt there will be anything left to salvage. Good luck Pakistan.
A bunch of jackals led by a lion is much better than a bunch of lions led by a jackal.
Every day I open this site to hear any good news yet I only hear crappy news from Pakistan. Maybe they should give the keys to the Talibans so all the hopes will die once and for all.
If this is not surrendering to the violent TTP, what else will be ?
Another excellent decision from a spineless government, now please release all those who are rotting in jails. There isn't any need to keeping them imprisoned. Never imagined to have such cowardice and then they say 'shair aya shair aya'.
A blank check issued to all the future murdrers. Go ahead with the murders, and we will feed you daal roti 3 times a day. Your family may not be able to eat, but since you have murdered, we will gurantee you 3 meals a day. What a joke.
Good move. Killing is wrong whoever does it. We need a better system in place.
I don't understand the reasoning of 'enlightened ones'-what about the right of those, whose lives were snatched away willingly by these murderers.
Operation and extra-judicial killing via the drones is OK but it not OK to punish the proven killers!
govt wants to feed awam killers with Awami money collected from tax