Pakistan Revives Death Penalty

The death penalty is a policy that has slowly faded from most every civilized country in the world.  It has been shown to be a barbaric way of dealing with things and the decision to end a life based on a person's criminal acts, though it still survives in some areas, is mostly frowned upon.  The country of Pakistan was formerly one of those countries against the death penalty, at least for a short while, though a change in political power has allowed the practice to slip back into their legal system.

Originally, a moratorium was issued in 2008 that stopped the death penalty for all but soldiers who were convicted under military law.  But this moratorium has now expired.  The government could have renewed it if they wished, but they chose otherwise.  The reasons behind this are mainly due to the change in the party that now controls the country.  Previously, it was the Pakistan People’s Party in control, the very party that implemented the moratorium in the first place.  Now, the Pakistan Muslim League has taken over and they have a more death-friendly attitude regarding the issue.

Those who support the death penalty’s return are saying that it is the best way to deal with the growing problem of terrorists in the country.  They also state their belief that the threat of death is the best way to deal with the rampant crime that exists within some of Pakistan’s larger cities.  Studies across the world have shown that this is not the case, but they choose to ignore those studies.

The only saving grace of the death penalty process is that only the president can officially okay an execution, unlike in the U.S. where many judges can.  Thus, the power is limited.  Still, it is not outside the range of abuse and I doubt the president will have the time to go over every case in detail to see if a criminal’s wrongdoings warrant the death penalty.  And since the judges still have the power to suggest the death penalty, many innocents will still become victims of corrupt officials trying to eliminate dissenters and rivals.

The international reaction is, of course, less supportive of the move.  Human rights groups are voicing their discontent and Amnesty International has concerns that the 8000 people currently awaiting rulings on executions will not get a fair look at their cases.  Furthermore, this only serves to reinforce the stereotype that Islamic countries are violent and willing to kill those who do not adhere to their laws.  Pakistan is already riddled with enough problems as it is.  They shouldn’t, in my opinion, be adding more in the form of international condemnation.

Firing squad execution courtesy of USHMM via Wikicommons