Pakistan remains a retentionist country, after it lifted its moratorium on executions in December 2014. Since then, the country has become one of the biggest executioners, with at least 14 executions carried out, more than 250 death sentences given and over 4,864 people on death row in 2018.
While Pakistan has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 2010, it has yet to ratify its Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (ICCPR-OP2).
30-31 October 2018: PGA organised, in partnership with ADPAN and Ensemble contre la peine de mort (ECPM), a regional parliamentary seminar entitled “Standing Against Death Penalty in Asia: The Role of Parliamentarians” in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Ms. Samana Malaika Raza, Policy and Advocacy Strategist for Justice Project Pakistan, presented a case-study on Pakistan and Hon. Aisha Chaudhry, Member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly, spoke about the situation and experience of the death penalty in the country.
10 October 2018: In partnership with Justice Project Pakistan, PGA organised in the European Parliament a screening and discussion about the situation of capital punishment in Pakistan, to mark World Day against the Death Penalty.
29 November 2017: PGA organized a side-event to its 39th Annual Forum in Milan (Italy), entitled “Moving Away from Capital Punishment in Asia”. The event focused on the issues and arguments particularly relevant to the abolitionist movement in Asian countries. This gave the opportunity to PGA Member, Co-Convenor of PGA’s International Peace and Security Program and former Minister of Defense Hon. Naveed Qamar to share his experience with fellow Asian parliamentarians.
15 November 2017: PGA Member Hon. Farhatullah Babar attended a seminar organised by PGA’s Partner, Justice Project Pakistan, and made very strong statements calling all relevant stakeholders to engage in productive discussions on the use of capital punishment in Pakistan.
6 November 2017: PGA Member Hon. Farhatullah Babar, attended the a Parliamentary Roundtable on Strengthening the Rule of Law, with a special focus on the abolition of the death penalty, organised in the Senate of Jordan by PGA with the cooperation of the Coalition of Women MPs to Combat Violence against Women – Jordan. He made a very strong statement, demonstrating his deep commitment to abolition.
25 July 2017: Together with its partners ADPAN and ECPM, PGA organized a Parliamentary Roundtable on the Abolition of the Death Penalty in Malaysia and in Asia, in the Malaysian Parliament in Kuala Lumpur. Justice Project Pakistan was invited to present the situation of the death penalty in Pakistan, and to engage in discussions with attendees.
10 October 2016: On the 14th World Day against the Death Penalty, PGA Members in the European Parliament sent an official letter to President Mamnoon Hussain, calling on him to halt executions and move towards abolition of the death penalty. They also underlined the fact that Pakistan enjoys a GSP + status in its relations with the European Union, which requires the country to respect and implement international treaties protecting human rights.
April 2016: PGA Executive Committee Member; Hon. Naveed Qamar, initiated discussions in the committee to modify the punishment in an anti-rape bill from a mandatory death penalty to discretionary.
