Capital punishment in Pakistan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Capital punishment is legal in Pakistan. 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 Peoples Republic Of China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States.^[1]

More than 3,000 people are on the country's Death Row, many sentenced by lower courts. Amnesty International recorded 13 executions in 1999.^[2]

Controversially Pakistan was one of only eight countries in the world (China PRC, 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 commiting 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.^[3]

Hanging remains the most common method of execution.

[edit] References

1. ^ AIUK: Pakistan- Spate of imminent executions in wake of Mirza Hussain case
2. ^ Amnesty International: Death Penalty News September 2000
3. ^ Amnesty International: Facts and Figures on the Death Penalty

[edit] See also

• Mirza Tahir Hussain

[edit] External links

• Asia Death Penalty blog focuses on the use of the death penalty in Asia