Pakistan-PM
Pakistani Prime Minister Saturday announced plan to convert death sentences of thousands of convicts into life imprisonment.
Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani told the parliament that the Interior Ministry will be asked to move a summary to the President to commute the sentence of those on death row to life imprisonment.
"We have asked the Ministry of the Interior to send a
recommendation to the president to convert the death sentence of prisoners to life in prison," he said.
The statement came two days after the Human Rights Watch urged Pakistan to suspend death penalty until the death penalty is abolished by an act of Parliament. Pakistan should announce an immediate moratorium while the government establishes a commission to review the application of the death penalty.
The number of persons sentenced to death and executed every year in Pakistan is among the highest in the world, Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch said in the letter.
Human Rights Watch stated in its letter that crimes carrying the death penalty have significantly increased in recent years under the government of Pervez Musharraf, resulting in a much higher number of death sentences and executions.
Out of the more than 31,400 convicts in the country, nearly a quarter , more than 7,000 individuals, including almost 40 women, have been sentenced to death, and are either involved in lengthy appeals processes or awaiting execution.
In 2007, 309 prisoners were sentenced to death and 134 were hanged. Most of those sentenced to death are poor and illiterate. Some face discrimination as members of religious minority communities.
Many were held without due process of law and faced trials that did not meet international fair trial standards.
On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution by a wide margin calling for a worldwide moratorium on executions.
In September 2008, the General Assembly will reopen discussion on the death penalty.
Prime Minister Gilani also announced remission of ninety days to the prisoners in their sentence except those who are involved in heinous crimes.
