EU urges Pakistan to reinstate moratorium on death penalty
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ISLAMABAD: A spokesperson of the European Union (EU) said on Wednesday that the government of Pakistan should halt all executions as capital punishment violates international law and basic human rights.
The spokesperson referred to the death penalty as an unjust and cruel punishment and said capital punishment should be eliminated globally.
The government has executed 48 convicts since the moratorium on the death penalty was lifted following the horrific terrorist attacks on the Army Public School in Peshawar last year.
The condemnation of the death penalty by the EU comes at a time when the government is set to hang underage convict, Shafqat Hussain on Mar 19, 2015.
Read more: Court order for Shafqat's execution has shattered our hopes, says family
Hussain's case has triggered outrage from rights campaigners, who complain he did not get a fair trial and was only 15 at the time of the killing.
The EU is only one of many international organisations urging the government to halt executions of convicts all over the country. Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch have also called for a stop to the hangings.
The EU had opposed the removal of the moratorium in December last year, and again expressed concerns during the First Pakistan-EU Local Human Rights Dialogue where the delegation met to discuss Pakistan’s GSP Plus status.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (52) Closed
Mar 18, 2015 01:02pm
I wonder what the EU position would be if 50,000 of their citizens had been killed by terrorists.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:05pm
Why single Pakistan, we are at the receiving end not Eurpoeans ... how about singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, to name a few....
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Mar 18, 2015 01:07pm
whats wrong with EU... terrists are killing many every day... and they want us to halt execution of killers.. does this make any sense in any world.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:09pm
European Union (EU) should persuade Saudi Arabia first.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:13pm
The European Union is sticking their noses in? That alone seems a good enough reason to resist their ultra liberal advice.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:16pm
Can we please do as they say before our GSP status is stripped away?
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Mar 18, 2015 01:23pm
It's time that EU and human rights campaigners stop interfering in our internal matters.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:23pm
EU, HRW and others, please stop interfering into our internal matters and concentrate on stopping those governments (USA, Israel, India) who are mass murdering innocent civilians.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:24pm
The spokesperson referred to the death penalty as an unjust and cruel punishment and said capital punishment should be eliminated globally.
Who gave them the right to dictate us. This is Islamic Republic of Pakistan and here is an Islamic law, how can some one call death penalty as cruel.
Cruel are those who kill people.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:25pm
but why EU?
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Mar 18, 2015 01:27pm
So they can kill them in drone strikes and its all good... but we can't execute the same after they commit crimes against the state of Pakistan.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:28pm
eu should mind its own business
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Mar 18, 2015 01:29pm
EU wants us to follow all democratic political changes as they desire. They have done a lot in past. They do not have hunger and poverty problems. They do not have corruption and bribery problems like poor nations. All money / wealth of poor countries have been drain by them, tell them masses will agree your orders, just return our theft money by high officials and leaders. If not than please keep quit and generate more and more cream, butter and burgers for your kids with this black and theft money. Make your banks white just like your white system and face. No western bank asks from thieves, how come you can bring millions and millions of dollar from poor country. What a good, clean and honest system of human rights chief countries. Is this money good for you and for your kids?
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Mar 18, 2015 01:33pm
EU has never condemned the killings by these murderers. When Govt punishes them EU exert pressure on Pakistan. What is their interest in our internal affairs.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:33pm
Killing individuals is not a solution instead kill false ideology which motivates the terrorists to commit such acts of violence.
Encourage love about humans , animals , tolerance for other faiths, encourage healthy debates, confine extremists Mullas, reform school text books. People of the Pakistan are very lovely people but they are misguided by the vested interests.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:35pm
They always used to tell us "DO MORE" to stop terrorism happening from our land.
What happened now?
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Mar 18, 2015 01:35pm
The Awkward moment when TTP & EU Ask for the same thing
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Mar 18, 2015 01:43pm
Death by collateral is okay with EU but death by capital punishment after years of trial is not okay. You invaded Afghanistan and Iraq to please US who wanted to punish someone and killed thousands in the process. Those countless men, women, children and elderly have died by your bombings which is okay for you (EU). I wonder and I know for sure that all the feminists and human rights activists also has the double standard policy when it comes to war killings and collateral deaths.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:43pm
EU has mere economic advantages in urging Pakistan to halt the death penalties. They call it human rights. It's hilarious!
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Mar 18, 2015 01:48pm
EU really mind it's own business.If they are so concerned they should take all murderers in their countries.We will not mind that.Are they ready,certainly not.Then better keep shut and ask first other countries to listen to your advices.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:50pm
EU, please wake up and smell some coffee.
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Mar 18, 2015 01:55pm
@Faizan Shaikh this is not your personal meter, this is meter of whole nation, and thousands of human being in death row who wrongfully convicted,
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Mar 18, 2015 01:58pm
Instead if they just ask for clean and clear transparency of the case so that everyone can understand why. In addition, the process should make sure that the so-called offender/culprit is not innocent by chance.
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Mar 18, 2015 02:02pm
Do EU play any role in the development of Pakistan ? Name a single project by any member of EU ? When EU have no partnerships with Pakistani people then how can they tell Pakistan what to do and what not to do. We don't need to listen to them until and unless we have trade relaxations and visa relaxations at least. EU also need to knock United Nations door firstly to reinstate moratorium on death penalty in other countries as well. Check how promptly they respond in such matters but they do not help Pakistan financially. Only few Pakistani politicians have wealth or properties in UK.
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Mar 18, 2015 02:04pm
@kiran Well said. that sums up hypocrisy of west. Pak should stop behaving like a slave to west and stand on your own feet.
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Mar 18, 2015 02:17pm
@Bitter Truth lol
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Mar 18, 2015 02:26pm
how about they take all in our jails?
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Mar 18, 2015 02:31pm
The prisoners who are hanged nowadays are most of the convicted of charges other than terrorism. Just yesterday a man who was accused of murder on a water issue with his neighbour was hanged. So, world should know that Pakistani is not hanging any terrorist instead making everyone fool.
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Mar 18, 2015 02:39pm
We as a Pakistanis, can ask EU, whether or not human rights are violated in UAE (EU allied nation) where humans are beheaded every Friday before the public?
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Mar 18, 2015 02:48pm
@Pakman also add USA on tip of your list
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Mar 18, 2015 03:10pm
Hypocrisy at its best I am afraid.
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Mar 18, 2015 03:13pm
Funny. Where is the international law and basic human rights when they bomb the poor civilians in Iraq / Afghanistan?
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Mar 18, 2015 03:17pm
What's the problem with EU? Why don't they mind their business?
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Mar 18, 2015 03:27pm
EU were the US allies in the Iraqi and Afghan invasions. Number of casualties and the catastrophic consequences for the two nations hang the humanity's head in shame. They should stop meddling in Pakistan's affairs.
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Mar 18, 2015 03:28pm
Majority of the death penalty given so far in Pakistan are not TTP related.
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Mar 18, 2015 03:34pm
Today EU is only mildly suggesting, in due course key figures involved may get hauled up at ICCC. More than likely.
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Mar 18, 2015 03:34pm
@Imran Their courts do not award death penalty. Their police does the job. They kill the killers in an encounter.
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Mar 18, 2015 03:43pm
Where is EU when people like Saulat Mirza are killing innocent people on the streets. What does EU calls this type of capital punishment? If there is Less crime in Pakistan this means less people will migrate to all developed nations who need these people to grow their economies and collect enormous amounts of taxes which their citizens and governments equally enjoy.
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Mar 18, 2015 03:43pm
If 150 innocent school children were killed in EU countries....then what...???
If churches were bombed in EU countries....then what...???
If 50000 innocent people were killed in EU countries....then what...???
Will the EU countries like adopt these criminals....I am sure no.
Can EU give us a very good solution to solve this problem of terrorism,
Please help us EU...don't push us into quick sand.
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Mar 18, 2015 03:49pm
who are they to interfere in our legal system? they should better look at the greece's economic problem and forecoming spanish and italian debt issues.
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Mar 18, 2015 04:00pm
EU needs to first lecture America where execution is still a common practice.
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Mar 18, 2015 04:02pm
32 states in the US have death penalty.
Google it
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Mar 18, 2015 04:11pm
First urge USA, Bangladesh.
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Mar 18, 2015 04:15pm
@Jay Patel
What? Can you support your comment with facts?
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Mar 18, 2015 04:58pm
Let everyone stop then only paksitan will stop hanging these animals.
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Mar 18, 2015 05:14pm
While the EU goes around the world murdering innocent Muslim men, women an children they want us to stop executing criminals who have murdered hundreds? Really? Does the word hypocrite not exist in the EU vocabulary anymore?
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Mar 18, 2015 05:22pm
Why do they always interfere at the wrong time?
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Mar 18, 2015 05:52pm
What a joke? Why doesn't it ask the big brother (USA) to do so along with Saudi Arabia and Iran?
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Mar 18, 2015 07:11pm
If death penalty worked, there would be no crimes. These lunatics are willing to kill themselves in the name of God. You think that a threat of death penalty will stop them? In a country where poor people and minorities are wrongfully convicted, death penalty will only result in innocent folks getting hanged while the real culprits will roam free.
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Mar 18, 2015 07:30pm
EU is not in our boat. They don't know what it is like to live in constant fear, where there is no security anywhere you, you leave your house in the morning not knowing whether you will come back home in one piece. EU NEEDS TO BACK OFF. Too many of us have died to let this one go.
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Mar 18, 2015 08:29pm
Agreed: provided EU takes these murderers as its citizens and their Pakistani nationality is revoked.
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Mar 19, 2015 12:47am
these are the very countries who support covert operations.
Let them announce that they will accept any death row criminal in their country.
they need to show courage for their convictions . Let them taste the Honey
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