Asia Director Sam Zarifi called on the government to take swift action against those responsible for the attack according to international law rather than executing those on death row. “Executing convicts is a poorly conceived response to popular demands for revenge,” he said. Zarifi said the strategy was counterproductive as it did nothing to deter future attacks or secure justice for victims.
In a statement issued on Saturday the commission said Dr Usman was convicted of an attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) in 2009 and Arshad Mehmood in connection with an assassination attempt on former president Pervez Musharraf in 2003. They were executed on Friday after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted a six-year informal moratorium on death penalty on Wednesday following the Peshawar carnage.
The ICJ said hundreds of convicts were at risk of imminent execution under Pakistan’s broad based and routinely abused anti-terrorism laws. The commission noted that President Mamnoon Hussain had rejected the mercy petitions of 17 terror convicts on Thursday. The ICJ said Army Chief Raheel Sahrif had also signed death warrants of six people convicted by military courts for terror related offences.
Zarifi condemned the Peshawar massacre as a heinous act. He called on the government to forestall similar attacks by effectively implementing a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy formulated according to the Constitution and international human rights law. Zarifi said executing all those convicted under Pakistan’s flawed counter-terrorism laws, following trials that fell short of international standards of fairness, dodged the real issues confronting the nation in its fight against terrorism. “The government should restore its moratorium on the death penalty and instead focus on an effective, realistic, and legal response to the very real threat posed by armed groups to the people,” he said
The statement said the commission was opposed to capital punishment without exception as it violated the right to life and the right of not being subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2014.
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Death penalty is valid as per Islamic laws. But other points raised for effective strategy against terrorism and flawed anti terror laws are very valid. Even for the sake of justice to Peshawar victims, we know who are real culprits behind this heinous act of barbarism? And proofs are already provided to Kabul. So we should put International pressure on Afghanistan government and ISAF for real joint operation or give Pak Army free hand for that.
Mr. Sam Zarifi please explain rights of aggressor and the person aggressed upon & would you wish to become the latter. Hoping so.
Mr. Sam Zarifi please explain the rights of aggressor and the person aggressed upon & would you wish to become the latter.
In wars, you shoot first otherwise can get killed. What about the rights of the shaheed children? Kindly shut up and let us deal with these terrorists with a iron hand. Next time these terrorists should think 100 times before planning or executing such crime. Long live Pakistani and our brave armed forces. GOOD LUCK IN WIPING OUT THESE ENEMIES OF OUR BELOVED COUNTRY!
"Eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth"
Mr. Sam Zarifi - please ask Saudi Arabia first to stop death penalties and executions. Since no western power or any international organization or agency of any sort has enough courage to question Saudi, they should stop blabbering about it to Pakistan.
And what about th right to life for the person who was killed, who is your pharmacist