ISLAMABAD: A larger bench of the Supreme Court will take up the matter related to determining the fate of over 8,000 death row prisoners across the country in the third week of January.
The Supreme Court’s office has informed that a larger bench will take up the cases in third week of January, Deputy Attorney General Sajid Ilyas Bhatti told a three-judge bench headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja on Wednesday.
The bench was hearing mercy petition of a death row prisoner, Abdul Rasheed. Bhatti also requested the bench to refer Rasheed’s case to the larger bench for deciding his fate. The bench accepted his plea and referred the matter to the larger bench.
Rasheed is involved in a murder case and languishing in Sahiwal Central jail since May 2001. The top court on August 18, 2009 rejected his appeal against the award of capital punishment. Later on, he filed a mercy petition by saying that he has spent around 13 years behind bars. He requested the bench to release him as he has served life sentence in jail.
Prolonged delays
Earlier, on September 30, the chief justice while hearing a petition filed by a representative of the Watan Party, Barrister Zafarullah, decided to form a larger bench to decide the fate of death row prisoners.
On December 5, 2013, the law ministry informed the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan that the government is maintaining a moratorium on the death penalty. However, the ministry added that it is not in favour of complete abolition of the death penalty.
PPP legacy
The previous PPP government decided to adopt a de facto moratorium on hangings since 2008.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2014.
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Justice should be served.
Don't we take lesson from other country.. An offender always remain an offender .. a rapist remain a rapist even after doing his sentence. Don't you think the murderer will not hold back once back in to lime light.
Beside it gives all the wrong signal to take a life is worth so little.
Justice should be served.
Don't we take lesson from other country.. An offender always remain an offender .. a rapist remain a rapist even after doing his sentence. Don't you think the murderer will not hold back once back in to lime light.
Beside it gives all the wrong single to take a life is worth so little.