EU mission condemns death penalty resumption in Pakistan

EU officials indicated last year resumption in executions could jeopardise a highly prized trade deal with the bloc


Afp December 24, 2014

ISLAMABAD: The European Union mission in Islamabad on Wednesday condemned the decision to restart executions in the wake of the country's bloodiest-ever terror attack.

Six prisoners have been hanged since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced last week that a six-year moratorium on the death penalty was being lifted in terror cases.

The decision came amid public outrage over a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan massacre at an army-run school in Peshawar which killed 150 people, including 134 children.

The EU mission said in a statement it stood by the country in its grief but remained opposed to capital punishment in all circumstances.

"We believe that the death penalty is not an effective tool in the fight against terrorism," it said.

"The EU Delegation regrets the decision of the Government of Pakistan to lift the moratorium on executions ... (and) We hope that the moratorium will be re-established at the earliest."

Officials have said they plan to hang 500 convicts in coming weeks, drawing protest from international human rights campaigners.

Despite the moratorium, which began in 2008, courts continued to pass the death sentence and Amnesty International estimates there are around 8,000 people on death row in the country.

EU officials indicated last year that if Pakistan resumed executions, it could jeopardise a highly prized trade deal with the bloc.

COMMENTS (13)

Reader | 9 years ago | Reply

it's beyond understanding everyone supports covert & overt operations, bombings, drone strikes and wars, all involving mass murdering of innocents and extrajudicial killings of suspects but when punishment is handed down by exhausting all legal options and procedure everyone UNO, EU, HRCP & amenity starting crying of human rights issues. what happens to human rights during covert & overt operations, bombings, drone strikes and wars??? EU we are in war against terrorism & we will do whatever deem necessary...no need to teach us your dual standard and flawed human rights policies. By the way it's quite interesting UNO, EU, HRCP & amenity don't speak against hundreds of suspects killed by LEAs after Peshawar school attach.

a | 9 years ago | Reply

"We believe that the death penalty is not an effective tool in the fight against terrorism"

Read the news below to show how effective your tools are: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/16/belgium-convict-granted-right-to-die

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