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To waive off capital punishment for those convicted of crimes abroad would also go against what Pakistan stands for

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has recently stated that the government intends to make some alterations to the criminal laws of the country whereby those Pakistanis who have been awarded a capital sentence abroad will be exempt from the sentence when extradited. The declarations had been made following a trip to the UK where Qureshi was negotiating an extradition treaty with the British authorities.

The UK, of course, is a country with longstanding ties with Pakistan. This is especially true when it comes to Pakistanis caught there while involved in crimes. The most high profile of these was the arrest and sentencing of three Pakistani cricketers Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir for spot-fixing. The last of these, Amir, is now back in England with the Green Shirts playing in the World Cup. But there are others who are guilty of heinous crimes, including the Rochdale gang.

While capital punishment is frowned upon in international law, and Pakistan has been pushed towards it particularly by Europe, it is a different matter altogether to revoke such sentence imposed by courts of law other than those of Pakistan. To promise such on behalf of the government would make extradition essentially a ‘get-out-of-capital-punishment-free’ card for any criminal of Pakistani origin in a foreign land. This goes against the spirit of the formation of this country and its founding ideals. Justice is one of those core ideals. To waive off capital punishment for those who are convicted of heinous crimes abroad would also go against what this country stands for.

Should the government have an extradition treaty with the UK or any other country for that matter? Absolutely. Should we waive off capital punishment for those who have been convicted of heinous crimes abroad? This question not only requires greater reflection on the part of the government but a much broader debate on the public platform which must also review what our national stance should be towards capital punishment in general.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2019.

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