Senate body told: Pakistan not executing death penalty due to GSP Plus conditions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is not executing the death penalty because of Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) conditions imposed by the European Union (EU), said a senior official of the Ministry of Interior.

A special secretary of the Ministry of Interior told the Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that the main reason behind the non-execution of the death penalty in the country is the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus conditions imposed by the European Union (EU).

He also said that the matter is related to the Ministry of Commerce; therefore, the point of view of the Commerce Ministry is mandatory in this regard.

PPP calls for abolishing death penalty

When Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, the convener of the committee asked is there no death penalty in the EU, the secretary said that yes, there is no capital punishment but the sentences on other offences are carried out.

Senator Jam Saifullah Khan said that capital punishment is still prevalent in the United States.

The committee reviewed the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill with some amendments seeking enhancement of punishment of rapists moved by Senator Mohsin Aziz. As per the amendment made in the bill in the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (XLV of 1860), in Section 376, in sub-section (3), imprisonment for life but shall not be less than 25 years along with a fine of Rs1 million shall be substituted.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, sexual assault is a traumatic event that affects people in different ways both mentally and physically. Unfortunately, it has been observed that cases of rape have increased these days, it says.

It says that in the present criminal justice system of Pakistan, there are provisions that whoever commits rape of a minor or a person with mental and physical disability shall be punished with death or imprisonment of a life but sometimes rapistsare released due to some lacuna in sub-section (3) of Section 376 and the purpose of this amendment is for improvement in the punishment of rapists, it says.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025