World

Saudi Arabia beheads Pakistani heroin trafficker

Babir Hussein Mohammed Ishaq was found guilty of transporting heroin which he had ingested

Afp February 12, 2015

The Gulf nation executed 87 people last year, up from 78 in 2013. STOCK IMAGE

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday beheaded a Pakistani convicted of drug smuggling, bringing to 29 the number of executions in the first six weeks of the year.

Babir Hussein Mohammed Ishaq was found guilty of transporting heroin which he had ingested, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

His case brings to 29 the number of Saudis and foreigners executed in the kingdom this year, according to an AFP tally.

The government says it is determined to combat narcotics but it has faced international criticism over its human rights record, including the use of the death penalty.

Drug trafficking, rape, murder, apostasy and armed robbery are all punishable by death under the kingdom's strict version of Islamic sharia law.

The Gulf nation executed 87 people last year, up from 78 in 2013.

COMMENTS (12)

Milind | 9 years ago | Reply And Pakistanis blamed us for cutting of trade with them, after a lorry driver was caught smuggling stuff into India.

Thotatum25 | 9 years ago | Reply @HG: @Tahir Khan et. al: ET had an excellent article by Ms Ayesha Siddiqa yesterday which might explain Pakistani reluctance.

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ModiFied | 9 years ago | Reply How come not a single Pakistani leader speaks against this inhuman slaughter ? Why can't Pakistani civil society demonstrate in front of Saudi Embassy ? Mr Sharrif should focus on this rather than worrying about India's UNSC membership.

observer | 9 years ago | Reply @Leela4fun: "The Saudi Barbarians have a penchant for killing, be it beheading humans or the mindless slaughter of migratory birds." Agree. I would also add to the list the barbaric practice of cruel animal sacrifice in the name of god during Eid.

observer | 9 years ago | Reply Saudi Arabia continues to behead dozens of Pakistanis for drug hauling while not touching the real culprits-the rich Saudi end users. The poor Pakistanis who get beheaded are nothing more than illiterate mules in the drug trafficking game. These poor guys take this risk to make a pittance to support their families back home. Why isn't Pakistan objecting to this gruesome practice of beheading for a crime that is not that all that horrible. Don't lives of poor illiterate Pakistanis matter to the rulers of Pakistan?

S K Chadha | 9 years ago | Reply Saudi funded IFCDW is protecting both 'Houbara Dustards' and 'Pakistani Citizens' with one goal.

Leela4fun | 9 years ago | Reply The Saudi Barbarians have a penchant for killing, be it beheading humans or the mindless slaughter of migratory birds.

Saleem | 9 years ago | Reply Each year the number of people put to death in saudi keeps increasing. So how does the death sentence prevent/reduce crime. There are many countries who do not have death sentence as a punishment and still have very low crime.

Tahir Khan | 9 years ago | Reply So it appears this is now a weekly activity for pakistanis losing their heads at the hands of saudi's with not a word of objection from the pakistani govt.

yousafhaque | 9 years ago | Reply Before beheading someone do they care to ascertain whether the victim is just a mule working on behalf of some hard core criminals or he himself is the criminal.I doubt they do

Fawad | 9 years ago | Reply Pakistani's are being punished for breaking law of the land there, and someone from that land is breaking law here in cahoot with government officials here. Poor birds, when they die in 1000s then they qualify for news. Nobody cares, somebody filed petition, but no news further, killing/hunting goes on unrestrained.

HG | 9 years ago | Reply I fail to understand why no body make any hue & cry about this issue at all. Is it every one is so coward that they can't even say a word about it.? At least they are Pakistani national. Every one know that Saudi judicial system is most flawed.

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