Four prisoners hanged in different jails across Punjab
RAWALPINDI: Four death row prisoners were hanged early Tuesday in different jails across Punjab province.
Murder convict Hubdar Hussain Shah was executed at the central jail in Mianwali. Hussain was convicted of killing two brothers over personal enmity in 2000.
Hussain's hanging had previously been scheduled for March 25, but had been halted on the request of the victim's families.
By GEO ENGLISH
March 31, 2015
RAWALPINDI: Four death row prisoners were hanged early Tuesday in different jails across Punjab province.
Murder convict Hubdar Hussain Shah was executed at the central jail in Mianwali. Hussain was convicted of killing two brothers over personal enmity in 2000.
Hussain's hanging had previously been scheduled for March 25, but had been halted on the request of the victim's families. However, the execution was carried out today after an agreement could not be reached between the two parties.
Death row prisoner Ikramul Haq was hanged at the Attock Central jail. Haq was convicted of kidnapping a three-year-old girl for ransom and then murdering her in 2003.
Murder convict Mohammad Amin was taken to the gallows at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi early Tuesday morning, while death row prisoner Riaz was hanged at the District Jail Sargodha around 10pm Monday night.
Riaz was convicted of killing two people during an attempted robbery in 2002.
The executions are the latest since Pakistan lifted a moratorium on capital punishment in December.
Reintroducing the death penalty was part of the government’s move to step up its fight against militants and criminals after Taliban militants killed over 150 people – mostly children – at Peshawar’s Army Public School on Dec 16.
The moratorium, in force since 2008, was initially lifted only in terrorism cases.
But the government extended the order earlier this month, directing provincial governments to proceed with hangings for all death row prisoners who had exhausted their appeals and clemency petitions.
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.
Supporters of the death penalty in Pakistan argue that it is the only effective way to deal with the scourge of militancy.
Critics meanwhile say that Pakistan´s courts are largely unjust forums for decided cases, with rampant police torture, poor legal representation for victims, and unfair trials.
