UN, EU’s calls to halt executions rejected

Published December 28, 2014
Pakistan had lifted the moratorium on executions in the aftermath of Peshawar school carnage. — AP/File
Pakistan had lifted the moratorium on executions in the aftermath of Peshawar school carnage. — AP/File

ISLAMABAD: The government on Saturday rejected calls by the United Nations and the European Union to revive moratorium on execution of convicts, noting that capital punishment for terrorists did not violate international law.

“Pakistan respects the international community, but the country is passing through extraordinary circumstances, which demand extraordinary measures to be taken,” a government spokesman said while referring to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s conversation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in which the UN chief called for halting executions.

The spokesman said that a “peaceful Pakistan is in the best interest of the world”.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said in a twitter posting: “Pakistan is cognisant of its obligations under UN Human Rights Conventions/Covena­nts. Execution of terrorists violates no international law.”

“The Secretary-General spoke on the phone with H.E. Mr Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, on 25 December 2014... While fully recognising the difficult circumstances, the Secretary-General urged the Government of Pakistan to stop the executions of convicts and re-impose the moratorium on the death penalty,” a statement from Mr Ban’s office had said.

Read: UN urges Pakistan to halt executions

Mr Sharif had during the conversation assured Mr Ban that all legal norms would be respected while handing down sentences to terrorists and during the execution of the sentences.

The government had earlier this week announced that it was setting up military courts for speedy prosecution of terrorism cases.

The government had lifted the moratorium on executions in the aftermath of Peshawar school carnage. So far six people, convicted of attacks on GHQ and former president Pervez Musharraf, have been executed.

Pakistan has some 8,000 death-row inmates awaiting execution. But the government says that moratorium has only been lifted in terrorism cases.

The number of those convicted in terrorism-related offences is about 170.

The European Union too had called for halting executions.

“We believe that the death penalty is not an effective tool in the fight against terrorism. The EU Delegation regrets the decision of the Government of Pakistan to lift the moratorium on executions, which had been in place since 2008,” a statement by the EU Delegation to Pakistan had said.

“The EU remains opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. We hope that the moratorium will be re-established at the earliest,” the EU statement had said.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2014

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.