Pakistan split over pope’s appeal against the death penalty
Since December 2014, Pakistan has been ranked third in terms of executions worldwide. For Catholic priest, the pope’s statement “was widely covered in the newspapers; at least everybody got to read it.” Muslims react negatively. “The pope’s appeal is part of the international pressure. They should avoid telling us what to do,” said one. “We are Muslims and will follow our own law”.
Lahore (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis’s appeal for the abolition of the death penalty in the Year of Mercy has caused mixed reactions in Pakistan. On the one hand, the pontiff's call joins a long-standing demand by human rights organisations, the United Nations and local Church groups. On the other, some Pakistani lawmakers and Islamic leaders have reacted coldly to the papal plea.
Pakistan reactivated the death penalty in March 2015 after a seven-year moratorium in reaction to a Taliban attack against a military school in Peshawar that left 132 students dead. Since then, 351 people have been executed, placing Pakistan third after Saudi Arabia and Iran in terms of executions.
"The pope's appeal is quite appropriate for our country,” said Fr James Channan, regional coordinator for the United Religions Initiative-Pakistan. “His statement was widely covered in the newspapers; at least everybody got to read it. Christian nations should take the lead” against the death penalty.
For the clergyman, "Army operations against the Taliban, not capital punishments, have decreased terror incidents. The government should look into the political, religious and economic reasons – including the lack of education and unemployment – that breed terrorism".
In June 2014, Pakistan’s army launched the ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ operation against Taliban groups in the North Waziristan tribal area to end the Islamist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives.
For most Pakistanis however, the authorities are not doing enough to defeat the terrorists, because they have not yet approved the National Action Plan decided in January 2015 after the Peshawar attack.
According to a recent survey by Gallup Pakistan, 92 per cent Pakistanis support hanging terrorists. Sajid Nawaz Khan, a Member of the National Assembly, is among the supporters.
"The pope’s appeal is part of the international pressure,” the lawmaker said. The international community “should avoid telling us what to do,” he told AsiaNews. "We are Muslims and will follow our own law. Death sentence is a minor thing. Those who kill children need extreme punishment. The fires of hell await them."
For Tahir Ashrafi, head of the Central Ulema Council, the Peshawar tragedy would not have happened had the terrorists been executed before. What is more, "Without the concept of reward and punishment, society turns into a jungle,” he explained. “We support our government and the army fight against the terrorists."
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