News / Pakistan

Pakistan executes six death row inmates

Wednesday, 25 March 2015 1:06 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 25 March 2015 1:06 PM ]

Pakistani soldiers are seen patrolling outside the central jail in Multan, where several prisoners were executed on January 7, 2015. © AFP

Pakistan has executed six prisoners convicted of murder, bringing the total number of convicts put to death to 61 since the country lifted a six-year moratorium on capital punishment last December.

Officials in Islamabad said on Wednesday that four convicts were hanged in prisons across the province of Punjab, and two others went to the gallows in the south-central city of Sukkur.

On March 17, Pakistan executed 12 prisoners found guilty of murder.

Islamabad resumed executions as part of crackdown on militants and criminals after a deadly attack by pro-Taliban militants on an army-run school in the northwestern restive city of Peshawar left 154 people, mostly children, dead on December 16, 2014.

A moratorium, which was in force since 2008, was initially lifted in December only to allow the execution of those convicted of terrorism offences. However, Islamabad extended the removal to all capital offences earlier this month.

The UK-based human rights group, Amnesty International, estimates that Pakistan has above 8,000 prisoners on death row.

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