Replies sought: ‘Why was death penalty suspended to begin with?’

Siddique said around 8,000 prisoners were on death row since the govt announced a moratorium on death penalty in 2008.

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court issued notices to the federal and provincial governments on Monday on a petition seeking disclosure of details about prisoners on death row. Justice Mahmood Bajwa issued the order on a petition filed by Judicial Activism Panel chair Azhar Siddique.

The court has asked the governments to submit their replies on January 12.  Siddique said around 8,000 prisoners were on death row since the government announced a moratorium on death penalty in 2008.

He said he had written to the interior secretary and home secretaries of the four provincial governments asking them to disclose the relevant details, but so far, no one had responded.

Siddique said under Article 19A of the Constitution, the government was required to disclose the details requested. He asked the court to direct the government to explain why the executions had been delayed for so long.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2014.