Four murder convicts sent to the gallows

Death row prisoners hanged in Sargodha, Mianwali, Sahiwal and Attock jails

MIANWALI/ ATTOCK/ SAHIWAL/ SARGODHA: At least four death row prisoners were hanged on Tuesday in jails across Punjab, Express News reported.

In Sargodha District jail, Muhammad Khan was sent to the gallows for killing two victims 13 years ago while Khizar Hayat was hanged in Mianwali Central Jail for killing his uncle.

Tuesday's hanging also included Muhammad Sarwar, who was executed in Sahiwal Central Jail, for murdering a woman in a case of honour killing. In Attock District Jail, a convict was also hanged for being involved in the killing of two brothers.

A moratorium on the death penalty had been in force since 2008, but executions were restarted in December after Taliban militants gunned down 154 people, most of them children, at a school in the restive northwest. Over 100 prisoners have been executed since then.

The moratorium was initially lifted only for those convicted of terrorism offences, but in March was extended to cover all capital offences.

The European Union, the United Nations and human rights campaigners have all urged Pakistan to reinstate the moratorium.
Critics say Pakistan’s criminal justice system is marred by police torture, poor legal representation for victims and unfair trials.

Human rights group Amnesty International estimates that Pakistan has more than 8,000 prisoners on death row, most of whom have exhausted the appeals process.