Amnesty urges Pakistan to stop first civilian execution in six years
Sarwar’s appeals were rejected in 2003 and 2006 by the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court against the death penalty, thereby exhausting his appeal process.
“If carried out, it would be the first civilian execution in Pakistan since 2008 and the first execution in the country since 2012,” the Amnesty International report said.
In late 2008, a civilian execution had taken place. In November 2012, a soldier was executed by military authorities. Further, the report revealed that Behram Khan, a civilian, had been scheduled to be executed on July 30 – but the order was later suspended.
“This execution should be halted immediately,” said David Griffiths, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia-Pacific Director.
“The suspension in executions which we have seen in recent years is one of few human rights areas in which Pakistan can point to a positive record. The country has committed itself to making progress on human rights – as a beneficiary of the EU’s GSP+ preferential trading status, for example – and the resumption of executions would be a seriously regressive step. Instead of moving to resume executions, authorities should formalise a moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards full abolition,” said Griffiths.
Following Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s return to power in 2013, the incumbent government had “threatened to resume executions”. However, after being pressured by human rights groups, the government backed-down.
Pakistan has one of the highest death row populations with more than 8,000 prisoners on death row. Most of them have exhausted their appeals processes and could possibly face execution.
During trials, defendants lack adequate legal representation. Additionally, some prisoners facing the death sentence were below 18 years when the crimes had been committed. These actions go against the country’s “obligations under international law”.
“As long as the death penalty is in place, the risk of executing innocent people can never be ruled out. The systemic fair trials violations in Pakistan not only exacerbate this risk, but also put Pakistan in breach of its international obligations,” said Griffiths.
“There is no conclusive evidence that the threat of execution acts as a particular deterrent to crime. The death penalty violates the right to life, pure and simple, and has no place in any human rights-respecting society. Pakistan should join the majority of countries in the world and abolish it completely,” he added.
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Why hasn't Amnesty tried to stop capital punishment in the USA, where people are tortured to death through the use of botched injections...?
'Right to life' for all should be observed in society despite everything even the crime of the individuals. if everyone of us think that life of others is as important as their own than there will be no suicide bombing, murders or killings. we will learn to respect each other as living being. i think this is the only way we can create a human society where forgiveness and justices are the key pillars. beside, we shouldn't forget that 'eye for eye will make the earth blind'. death penalty is against the basic human rights, therefore it should be abolished. There are many other punishments more effective and stronger than death.
I support death penalty but not in a country like Pakistan where the innocent will be hanged and the corrupt free from such threats. Unless Pakistan educates it's people, reaches 100% literate rate, everyone is aware of the law and their own rights, everyone is equal, and law works in favour of what is right and what is wrong equally not looking at gender, ethnicity, class etc then what's the point.
@Sibtain: Because they have a right to cover the news, the news channels arnt the ones objecting it or supporting it, are they? They are unbiased.
In my opinion he should be punished and death penalty should be brought back fully!
When the murderers of Shahzaib and Hamza shall be hanged?
Why do you even cover such news? Islam is very clear on the punishment, by putting this news up you challenge islamic law on which this country was formed.
as if the victims were not humans and had no right to live in this world!
They did not execute for fear of Talibans .
Mr.David Griffith and Amnesty International what do you say about super cultured USA followed by Saudi Arabia. Unless death penalty is not given the henius crimes will continue. Our religion teaches us for equal revenge..
i know two triple murderers still alive due to no capital punishment. these murderers have all the rights and the murdered were not even human according to Amnesty
David Griffiths, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia-Pacific Director David Griffiths says "There is no conclusive evidence that the threat of execution acts as a particular deterrent to crime. The death penalty violates the right to life, pure and simple, and has no place in any human rights-respecting society. Pakistan should join the majority of countries in the world and abolish it completely."
While there may not be a conclusive evidence that the threat of execution acts as a particular deterrent to crime, the actual execution can reduce crime in that it serves to reduce at least one source of crime. In Pakistan, we have many cases where the condemned prisoners escaped from prisons and committed yet more crimes. Also, while the condemned prisoners are lodged in prisons, their accomplices try to get them freed and conduct raids that kill yet more people.
And why is it that the Amnesty International sheds so many tears over the violation of 'right of life' of murderers yet shows no concern over the snatching of the same right from many individuals by the the criminals in question. Also, the Amnesty International seems to be concerned over the 'right of life' when it is violated at a small scale - execution of murderers whose guilt has been proved beyond all reasonable doubt - but seems not to show proportionate level of concern when the violation of the same right is done on massive scale, like invasion of Iraq on fabricated charges by George Bush and Tony Blair, whose action created circumstances which, apart of loss of 'right to life' of nearly a million innocent Iraqis and over five thousand Americans, has destabilized the whole region resulting in further loss of 'right of life' of thousands more, and the vicious circle has not ended yet. The Amnesty International made some ineffectual noise against George Bush and Tony Blair but the two were not subjected even to any legal process and Tony Blair had honour conferred on him by being appointed the representative of United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia for Peace in the Middle East. The European Union which seems to be so concerned over the loss of 'right of life' of individual condemned prisoners did not let Tony Blair's record come in the way and went ahead to appoint him a Peace Envoy in the same region where he is known as a butcher. Can there be any greater travesty of justice?
Karachi
This move of amnesty and EU togather for Pakistan under grab of GSP status is clearly to increase crime and terrorism including sectarain killing. It is called double gaming of USA,a great ally who always did everything negative and opposite of what they express in words.Best thing is that we understand and for that reason hate for USA remains in our heart.
@Antebellum: What you call the filth of society is the reflection of our garbage filled intolerant minds, be it the environmental pollution, destruction of ecology, anarchy, religious mania or the boundless forced abysmal poverty for hundreds of millions of our country fellows.
Murderers, rapists, kidnappers, terrorists, traitors and corrupt need to be shown the gallows...........Mr. Judge are you sure we shall have any males left after chopping the necks of all these bad boys of our society?
For some of the commentators: Let him cast the first stone who is without sin himself! The death penalty has not been shown to be a deterrent in any serious study. Countries with the lowest heinous crime rates have long ago abolished the death penalty. It costs mush less to keep someone incarcerated than to execute the person. There is nothing in it beyond the angle of revenge and serves to brutalize society.
Shouldn't Amnsety International guide law makers to make a solid law and order situation. If we remove death penalities then crime rates will spike up
Amnesty has no right to say any thing to Pakistan because it is interior matter. You can not expect to hush crimes if there are no crucial punishments. If there is some one from amnesty telling them to execution Pakistan must sue that person.
yeah dont kill murderers but feel free to kill protesters without any charge or trial! Sham human rights!
Murderers, rapists, kidnappers, terrorists, traitors and corrupt need to be shown the gallows. We need to clean up our society of this filth, this burden!
No. Heinous crimes must be punished accordingly. Rape, murder, etc. No exceptions, common man and elite alike. Our state was made on religious grounds to follow a doctrine which gave speedy justice to all classes. Our present judiciary is a shame and mockery even for a secular state.
Nawaz Sharif should come out clearly whether he believes in Islam & or Amnesty International. Killers must be punished with death sentence unless punishment is mitigated by the "Wali" of the bereaved family.
This problem exists with every country; a decision needs to be made so that innocent people are not executed but at the same time tax money is not spent on housing these 8,000 people. Like most other systems in Pakistan, this one is broken as well. Those found guilty will usually have a 1% chance of being innocent because of a flawed system.
Amnesty sleeps when people are killed in Model town. Good for nothing foreign funded NGO's. Throw them out as well. Go Nawaz Go