KARACHI: The Presidency has
begun to consider the possibility of commuting all death sentences into
life imprisonment and has sought advice from relevant ministries and
provincial authorities in this regard by August 13, revealed the former
Federal Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney.
Burney, via his trust The Ansar Burney Trust International, has
repeatedly sent petitions to President Asif Ali Zardari, requesting that
all death sentences be commuted to life imprisonment considering that a
large number of those on death row are either innocent or have already
spent several decades awaiting the implementation of their sentence.
According to press release issued by Burney, a notice had been issued
in July by the presidency to the Ministry of Law, Justice and
Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, the
Prime Minister’s Secretariat, and the Chief Secretaries of all provinces
to present views on the petitions and the possibility of commuting all
death sentences into life imprisonment.
The notice issued by the presidency requests for advice from the
various branches of government to be presented to the Ministry of Law,
Justice and Parliamentary Affairs by August 13 for consideration by the
government, the release added.
There are currently over 7,500 prisoners in Pakistani jails condemned
to death, including women and children. Many are innocent and victims
of false testimonies or circumstances.
Hundreds of these prisoners were now physically and mentally disabled due to decades of imprisonment.
The president has either stayed or postponed executions in the past two years, including that of Behram Khan and Hafiz Jaleel Morejo.
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