ISLAMABAD: A day after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced to lift the ban on death penalties in terrorism cases, the Interior Ministry on Thursday forwarded 120 mercy appeals to the premier for consideration, Express News reported.
After a six-year moratorium on execution of death penalties, Prime Minister Nawaz on Wednesday allowed capital punishment for those who have already been sentenced to death in terrorism cases.
The move came following Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s devastating attack on the Army Public School and College in Peshawar on Tuesday which killed 148, people most of them children.
Earlier today, sources in the PM House told The Express Tribune, seventeen convicted terrorists, whose appeals and mercy petitions have been dismissed, will be executed in the next few days.
Sources said the premier has been apprised of the first group of militants to be hanged and that the process will take a few days. “Their death warrants will be issued and their relatives will be called in to have their last meeting with them,” sources added.
Since the 2008 moratorium in Pakistan, only one man was executed in 2012. There are more than 8,000 convicted on death row; however, due to the moratorium their executions could not be carried out.
The prime minister removed the moratorium on terror-related cases, but not on other offenses.
Mercy pleas of six prisoners in Sindh rejected
The mercy pleas of at least six prisoners who are on death row in two different jails in Sindh have been rejected by President Mamnoon Hussain, Express News reported.
Two of the prisoners are currently being held in the Karachi Central Jail, while the other four are in the Sukkur Central Jail.
As a result of the horrific attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in which 148 people, including 132 children, were killed in cold blood by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the moratorium on terror-related cases was lifted by the prime minister.
The PPP-led previous government had put the moratorium on execution of death penalties, owing to which dozens of terrorists are waiting for execution.
Earlier, the PML-N government was reluctant to abolish the moratorium due to pressure from Western countries which are against death penalties.
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Unless Justice is perfect...capital punishment can never be justified.
why only terrorist charged of death be hanged, I think it should be the same for all the others criminals aswell who are sentenced to death. This is the only chance, maybe the last one for the failed justice of Pakistan to reinstate itself. Pakistan is heading towards a downfall because everyone has an escape plan when caught. It's simple reward or punishment rule. In Pakistan cases are postponed and everyone connected in dealing with it make money, they extend it to such an extent that facts are forgotten and verdicts change. Justice served in time is justice given...it's high time our institutions correct themselves or else incidents such as Peshawar one becomes meaningless....
Start with the two terrorist caught red handed massacring at Ahmadi;s in May 2010
decline all of them.
just_someone - Very well said.
To be very honest with you, I have no hope in this country and its current system. Its like whatever happens to us, whatever good we should do to remedy the problems we end up doing the exact opposite. Before this execution issue gained momentum, I already knew it was going to be taken very haphazardly and proof is infront of you now. Not only did we not learn (again and again) from our mistakes, ATC actually insulted the dead in Peshawar attack by releasing another terror suspect on bail wanted in 26/11. Now idk if India’s claims are true or not but he shouldn’t have been released at all. So you see, its the exact opposite. This country is even abandoned by God himself.
Prime Minister, If you consider any of these Mercy appeals. The Blood of the innocent will be on your hands. Allah will take his revenge from you and the rest.
@Azi: I dont like bringing religion into things but since you mentioned, (assuming you are muslim), ill say that there are a couple of verses that might be very enlightening (im paraphrasing). 1. God gives the kind of leaders that a nation deserves 2. God helps those who help themselves. We cheat, lie, steal, bribe every day in Pak and justify it as the norm. Anyone who is good is called the fool. we measure each other's success by the thickness of their wallet and not by their deeds. We are hypocrites and we always compare each other on who shows to be more religious rather than finding inner peace with God and being true to humanity, mankind and its creator. God hasnt abandoned you but dont expect anything from him until you fix things yourself!
@rukhsar:
Your PM has always been a very slow and weak at heart and will leader. We as a nation hoped for a better, proven one I.e. Imran khan but some people wouldn't still listen. This country if anything is ruined by its leaders as well as the people who always have supported them even after they haven't delivered. Be happy with nawaz now, Pakistan is never ever going to get any justice now but poverty, inflation, safe heavens and every bad thing you can think of because people some how think nawaz is very courageous and strong willed leader. Results so far have been exact opposite.
The mercy appeal.......the gambit to allow the PM to save his favourite terrorists.
i don't see execution on any of the case when there is no protection till a level of a common man
Duh!!! At least Nawaz Sharif should have learnt something during his exile in KSA: Chop-chopping at regular intervals keeps the state orderly. Not healthy necessarily, but orderly still.
@Aly: Family meeting in one way is more painful then just merciless kill. It hurts more and its definitely better.
why these cases being sent to PM? mercy appeals are reviewed by the President, and not by PM.
@roadkashehzada:
To be very honest with you, I have no hope in this country and its current system. Its like whatever happens to us, whatever good we should do to remedy the problems we end up doing the exact opposite. Before this execution issue gained momentum, I already knew it was going to be taken very haphazardly and proof is infront of you now.
Not only did we not learn (again and again) from our mistakes, ATC actually insulted the dead in Peshawar attack by releasing another terror suspect on bail wanted in 26/11. Now idk if India's claims are true or not but he shouldn't have been released at all. So you see, its the exact opposite.
This country is even abandoned by God himself.
Why give them a chance to say goodbye to their families??? They never give that chance to their victims.
PM, reject all appeals if you love your people.. Plz.
The terrorists should not be given any last wishes/meals or family visits. A swift merciful execution is way more than what they deserve for what happened in Peshawar! All prisoners who are done with inquiries/interrogations should just be rounded up and sent to the gallows!
because of this moratorium, we are stuck is time wasting useless debate. backlog has to be cleared but please focus on the main issue and act lightening fast. its been already 48 hours without any action from government and military