ASIA/PAKISTAN - Execution of a person sentenced to death has been suspended

Thursday, 18 September 2014

Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) - A Pakistani court in Rawalpindi has suspended the execution of the Muslim Shoaib Sarwar, previously fixed for September 18, who was sentenced to death for murder. As Fides learns, local officials have announced that the commitment for trial has value until 13 October. In recent days, NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, but also the Commission "Justice and Peace" of the Pakistani bishops, had asked to stop the execution (see Fides 17/09/2014).
There will be a National Convention of civil society organizations, including the Commission of Bishops who will meet in Lahore on September 26 with regards to the campaign for the abolition of the death penalty. The Church of Pakistan expresses its satisfaction about the news of the suspension. Msg. Joseph Arshad, Bishop of Faisalabad told Fides: "The Church always defends the supreme value of human life. Life is a gift of God that no man can take away".
There are more than 8,000 prisoners on death row in Pakistan, awaiting execution. Last year the government of Nawaz Sharif had expressed its desire to keep the moratorium on capital punishment. Some EU officials have said that if Pakistan had resumed executions, it could undermine trade agreements with EU. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 18/09/2014)


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