PAKISTAN: 315 CHILDREN STILL ON DEATH ROW
1) PAKISTAN: 315 CHILDREN
STILL ON DEATH ROW
Pakistan's prisons are house
to more than 4,400 children, 90% (3, 750) of whom are still awaiting trial
or currently under- trial. The latest available data mentioned 125 child
prisoners on death row (Human Rights Commission Report 2001). However, this
number has dramatically increased in the past year.
In July 2002, President Pervez
Musharraf enacted the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2002 (JJSO)
abolishing the death penalty for anyone under 18 at the time of the crime.
On July 25 2002, News
International, Pakistan reported that with the enforcement of the JJSO in
Punjab province of Pakistan, the death sentences of 74 young offenders had
been converted to life imprisonment. The same report also said that 315
condemned juveniles were yet to see the effect of the JJSO.
The law minister observed that
the government would constitute a special medical board to examine the ages
of 315 other condemned juveniles, the News International article said.
However, that has not happen. Neither has the commutation of death sentences
for the child prisoners.
2) SUGGESTED ACTION: Please
write to the President of Pakistan and the Minister for Law and Justice
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear President / Dear
Minister,
I am writing to you because it
has come to my knowledge that a high number of 315 child prisoners are yet
to attain relief under the Juvenile Justice Systems Ordinance (JJSO) enacted
in 2002. I welcome the Government of Pakistan's passing of the JJSO and the
commuting of the death sentences of 74 young offenders in Punjab. However, a
larger number of children are still languishing under the threat of death
penalty in Pakistan. I urge you to make this landmark ordinance a reality
for all children in Pakistanís prisons with greater compassion and urgency
by ensuring the effective and efficient functioning of medical boards,
special juvenile justice courts and the police force.
Yours sincerely
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS OF APPEAL TO
1)General Pervez Musharraf
Chief Executive and President of Pakistan
CE Secretariat, Islamabad
Email: ce@pak.gov.pk
Fax: 92-51-9201051
2)Dr. Khalid Ranjha
Minister for Law, Justice, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs
Email: molaw1@comsats.net.pk
Fax: 92-51-9202628
Send a copy of appeal to acr@ahrchk.net
