Pakistan among world's top executioners after terror attack

September 10, 2015 01:45

For years, Pakistan did not put prisoners to death. Then a Taliban attack butchered 150 people, most of them children, and the country resumed

carrying out the death penalty and quickly turned into one of the world's most avid executioners.

But instead of killing militants, the campaign is largely executing common criminals, The Associated Press has found. Only one in 10 of the 226 prisoners executed since December was convicted of a terror attack, according to human rights activists.

Still, the executions continue in order to placate a public still angry over last year's Taliban assault on a military school in the city of Peshawar.

The Pakistani government refuses to discuss the executions, and most on the street still support them. Some, however, are beginning to question whether the death penalty truly works as a deterrent in a country where suicide bombings remain a common militant tactic.

Pakistan under former President Pervez Musharraf halted executions in 2008, partly due to the pressure of human rights groups.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Would love to play longer and give my son a memory of myself playing: Rafa

Rafael Nadal said he would love to keep playing long enough for his son to remember him on court, though the 22-time Grand Slam champion concedes time is not on his side.

'Aaj batting tera Jassi bhai karega'

Jasprit Bumrah was seen practicing some shots in the nets ahead of MI's clash against DC.

What's Nirmalaji Queueing For?

Celebs and commoners cast their votes in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election on Friday, April 26, 2024

Is Salman Planning To Move Out Of Mumbai?

'With his safety in the city being jeopardised, Bhai is looking at moving to his farmhouse in Panvel permanently.'

Arms, ammunition found in CBI raid in Bengal's Sandeshkhali

The CBI during its probe got inputs of a large cache of arms hidden in Sandeshkhali. On Friday morning, a CBI team started a search operation during which the arms, including foreign-made pistols, were seized, the officials said.