We totally agree with Marie Harf’s statement that the United States Government should stay out
of Pakistan’s business when that country reinstated the death penalty. The EU
should learn from it too.
EU mission condemns death penalty resumption in Pakistan
By AFP
Published:
December 24, 2014
ISLAMABAD: The
European Union mission in Islamabad on Wednesday condemned the decision to
restart executions in the wake of the country’s bloodiest-ever terror attack.
Six
prisoners have been hanged since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced last
week that a six-year moratorium on the death penalty was being lifted in terror
cases.
The
decision came amid public outrage over a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan massacre at
an army-run school in Peshawar which killed 150 people, including 134 children.
The EU
mission said in a statement it stood by the country in its grief but remained
opposed to capital punishment in all circumstances.
“We believe
that the death penalty is not an effective tool in the fight against
terrorism,” it said.
“The EU
Delegation regrets the decision of the Government of Pakistan to lift the
moratorium on executions … (and) We hope that the moratorium will be
re-established at the earliest.”
Officials
have said they plan to hang 500 convicts in coming weeks, drawing protest from
international human rights campaigners.
Despite the
moratorium, which began in 2008, courts continued to pass the death sentence
and Amnesty International estimates there are around 8,000 people on death row
in the country.
EU
officials indicated last year that if Pakistan resumed executions, it could
jeopardise a highly prized trade deal with the bloc.
INTERNET
SOURCE: http://tribune.com.pk/story/811487/death-penalty-resumption-in-pakistan-none-of-our-business-us/
Death penalty resumption in Pakistan none of our business: US
By Web Desk
Published:
December 24, 2014
 |
US State Department spokesperson Marie Harf on Wednesday said the
lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty in Pakistan is
the country’s internal issue.
“Well,
clearly this is an issue for Pakistan – a decision for Pakistan, excuse me.
It’s not really ours to weigh in on,” Harf said during her daily press briefing.
Six
prisoners have been hanged since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced last
week that a six-year moratorium on the death penalty was being
lifted in terror cases following the Peshawar school massacre.
On December
16, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan stormed Army Public School in Peshawar killing
150 people, including 134 children.
The
spokesperson added US President Barack Obama
and US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to PM Nawaz after the attack and
extended assistance.
Responding
to a question of human rights bodies condemnations of resumption in executions,
Harf said, “We just don’t have a position on that to
outline for you.”
Earlier
today, EU mission condemned the resumption. EU
officials indicated last year that if Pakistan resumed executions, it could
jeopardise a highly prized trade deal with the bloc.
Further,
she said terrorism is a shared threat and Pakistan and the US have worked
closely together to counter it.
“More
Pakistanis are victims of counter terrorism, I think, than anywhere in the
world. So clearly it’s a shared threat, but when we have concerns like
this we’ll raise them,” she said.
Referring
to an order which granted bail to the alleged mastermind of the 2008 terror
attacks in Mumbai, Zakiur Rehman Alvi, the spokesperson said, “Well, look,
we’re concerned by the reports that this individual terrorist got bail.”
“The
government of Pakistan has pledged its cooperation in bringing the perpetrators
of the Mumbai attacks to justice, and we urge them to uphold that promise,”
she added.
Further,
dismissing a question regarding reports stating US will not target Mullah Omar
next year, Harf said, “I don’t think that’s something
for the State Department to speak to.”
INTERNET
SOURCE: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2014/12/235508.htm#PAKISTAN
QUESTION:
And also in Pakistan after the terrorist attack in Peshawar school, the
Pakistani Government has lifted the moratorium on executions and they have done
several of them in the last week. How do you see this? Do you
support this idea?
MS. HARF:
Well, clearly this is an issue for Pakistan – a decision for Pakistan, excuse
me. It’s not really ours to weigh in on. We have been in close contact
with all levels of the Pakistani Government. As you know, the President
and the Secretary both spoke to Prime Minister Sharif and has stood ready to
provide assistance in the wake of that horrific attack, but nothing on that
specific for you.
QUESTION:
But the human rights bodies are asking Pakistan to go back to the same
moratorium on executions. Would you support –
MS. HARF:
Yeah, we just don’t have a position on that to outline for you.
QUESTION:
And do you also see – or what’s your comment on the bail that was lifted out of
Mumbai terrorist attack mastermind from – by Pakistani –
MS. HARF:
Who are you specifically referring to? Mr. Lakhvi?
QUESTION:
Yes.
MS. HARF:
So we are concerned by reports that LeT commander – I think this is who you
were referring to – Lakhvi, one of the alleged masterminds behind the Mumbai
attacks, was granted bail. The Government of Pakistan has pledged its
cooperation in bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, and
we urge them to uphold that promise.
QUESTION:
So do you see that Pakistan continues to discriminate, differentiate between
good terrorists and bad terrorists?
MS. HARF:
Well, look, we’re concerned by the reports that this individual terrorist got
bail. We have worked very closely with Pakistan on
counterterrorism. More Pakistanis are victims of counterterrorism, I
think, than anywhere in the world. So clearly it’s a shared threat, but
when we have concerns like this we’ll raise them.
QUESTION:
So you have raised this with the Pakistani Government?
MS. HARF:
I just raised it publicly. I can check and see if we’ve raised it
privately as well.
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