Burney for commuting death sentence into life imprisonment | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Burney for commuting death sentence into life imprisonment

PESHAWAR (March 21 2008): Federal Minister for Human Rights Ansar Burney said here Thursday he has recommended to the President to commute the death sentence of the prisoners into life imprisonment, who have completed their ten years jail term.

Talking to reporters after visiting Darul Atfal here, the Federal Minister said, he has moved an application to the President suggesting him to covert the death sentence of the prisoners with ten years jail terms into life imprisonment or the convicted prisoners should be executed within two years after his conviction.

The death sentenced prisoners passed through severe trauma while being in the death cell for long time therefore execution of the death penalty at the earliest would end their long miseries instead of languishing in the death cell for years and years, he argued.

In response to a question, Burney said, 500 to 600 Pakistani prisoners were presently languishing in various jails in India of whom 48 have completed their jail terms in prison in Indian Punjab. Negative thinking prevailing between the neighbours, he said has in-fact marred swapping of the prisoners between the two neighbours Pakistan and India.

The rumours’ mongers played their game by propagating the negative thinking after the death of Pakistani prisoner Khalid Mehmud in Indian jail as a result of which release of the 48 Pakistani prisoners delayed.

He upheld his stance over release of Indian prisoner Kahsmir Singh and debunked all the aspersions by his critics saying that it was a fit case of human rights and humanity as he has already completed 35 years sentence in jail. He has already paid for his crime, he explained. The release of Singh also gave a message to the entire world that Pakistan is a peace loving country and has full respect and honour for the human rights charter.

The Federal Minister for Human Rights said he condemned handing over of Pakistanis to foreign countries without fulfilling the judicial norms and added that he would stand against it if it happened again.

Ansar Burney Welfare Trust, he said was making hectic efforts for the release of the Pakistani prisoners detained in lock ups in foreign countries. He admitted that efforts on the part of Pakistan government have to be accelerated for the release of their nationals detained abroad. He expressed concern over human trafficking especially of the women and children and called for waging jehad to combat this growing menace of human slavery.

To a question, he said, we have to rise above the ethnic, religious and linguistic considerations and worked collectively for the development of their country. Later he took 35 children from Darul Atfal and gave them a round of Nowshera Children Park and offered them lunch.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:3/21/2008