Capital punishment is legal in Pakistan but there has been a moratorium on executions since 2008. At least 241 people were sentenced to death in Pakistan in 2005, and at least 31 were executed – the fifth highest number in the world. Pakistan ranked fifth (total cases – not per capita) after the People's Republic of China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States.[1]
Capital punishment is legal in Pakistan but there has been a moratorium on executions since 2008. At least 241 people were sentenced to death in Pakistan in 2005, and at least 31 were executed – the fifth highest number in the world. Pakistan ranked fifth (total cases – not per capita) after the People's Republic of China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States.[1]
More than 900 people were on the country's Death Row, and it is claimed that many were sentenced by lower courts. Amnesty International recorded 13 executions in 1999.[2] However it is not at all apparent what the report means by "lower courts"as only one Trial Court, the Court of Sessions, has the power to award capital punishment (Section 31(2) Code of Criminal Procedure and that Court generally tries only the most serious crimes. All death sentences have to be confirmed by the High Court (Sections 31(25), 374 and 376 Code of Criminal Procedure.[3]
Controversially Pakistan was one of only eight countries in the world (China PRC, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United States and Yemen), that since 1990 executed prisoners who were under 18 years old at the time of committing a crime. Pakistan along with the United States and Yemen have now raised the minimum age to 18 in law to be eligible for execution.[4]
Hanging is the only legal method of execution (Section 368 Code of Criminal Procedure).
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2008 moratorium [edit]
The Constitution of Pakistan empowers the President to pardon or remit convictions. Pakistan Peoples Party government whose former chairperson Benazir Bhutto was a well known opponent of death penalty came to the power in March 2008 and installed its President Mr. Asif Ali Zardari on 9th September 2008. Who upon taking charge of the office issued an indefinite moratorium of prisoners on death row. Pakistan's moratorium ended on November 14, 2012 when Muhammed Hussain, a soldier was hanged for murder at Central Jail Mianwali.[5]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ AIUK: Pakistan- Spate of imminent executions in wake of Mirza Hussain case
- ^ "Amnesty International: Death Penalty News September 2000". Amnesty International. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ "Pakistan code of criminal procedure" (pdf). Max-Planck-Institute. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ "Amnesty International: Facts and Figures on the Death Penalty". Amnesty Internationa. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ "Capital punishment in Pakistan". Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
