NGO’s oppose death penalty for wrong reasons

Like most NGOs, Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) is of the view that Pakistan’s use of death penalty has failed to deter crime. “It has not curbed terrorism, and is exceedingly being used as a political tool,” finds research conducted by the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP). Most NGO’s researchers manipulate data to prove their point. For example, JPP’s research stated: “Since Pakistan lifted its moratorium on executions in December 2014, it has sent 465 prisoners to the gallows until May 2017. This makes Pakistan the fifth most prolific executioner in the world – following China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq.” JPP advanced strange argument that executions are being used as a means to make room in crowded prisons. But this argument is not convincing at all since prisons in Pakistan are so crowded that by executing a few hundred terrorists or criminals during four years would not make any difference.
In 2008, PPP government had placed moratorium on death penalty, as no amendment was made in the Constitution. However, moratorium was lifted by PML-N government in December 2014. The JPP said: “In just one-year after the moratorium was lifted, Pakistan became the third-most prolific executioner in the world…Execution warrants have been issued for mentally-ill, physically-disabled and juvenile offenders. More and more cases of wrongful executions have come to light.” But this is a blatant lie, as they do offer any substantive evidence. The question is whether terrorists, that are involved in killing children, women and young and old have any human rights? Since they do not act as human beings, they are not entitled to human rights and do not deserve any sympathy. Terrorists have misled people, especially the youngsters for so-called Jihad in the name of Islam. Their crimes against youth and other civilians, such as bombing public places, shrines, mosques and attacking schools and universities are not forgivable.
Yet, in Pakistan terror-accused have the right to defend, and prosecutors need to prove in the court of law that they are terrorists. They could be remanded to the custody of police or law enforcing agencies, as is done in cases of other accused. According to Amnesty International recent reports, more than two-thirds of all countries have abolished death penalty in law or in practice. There are 98 countries which have abolished it for all crimes; and most of these are in Western Europe and the Americas. Seven countries, including Brazil, Chile and Kazakhstan have abolished it for ordinary crimes. In these countries, death penalty can only be given for exceptional crimes such as crime committed under military law or under exceptional circumstances. The argument of the opponents of death penalty is not strong when they say there is no let up in killings in the countries by sending the murderers to gallows.
If one agrees with their argument, should other laws that prescribe sentences to the thieves, thugs, fraudsters and other criminals should also be abolished because despite award of sentences there is no decline in these crimes? The debate is raging in media and international fora about capital punishment, and there are proponents and opponents of the death penalty. In 2000, then Republican Governor George Ryan had ordered moratorium on executions fearing that the Illinois’ death penalty system might be at risk of executing the innocent. Ryan had been an ardent supporter of the death penalty, but changed his mind when he saw a rising number of exonerations of death row inmates in Illinois courts. This was not enough reason for giving large scale commutations by Ryan, as there were 150 additional murders in the state at that time. Anyhow, in March 2011, Illilnois Governor Pat Quinn abolished Death Penalty after opponents of death penalty had urged him to sign a law to abolish the executions completely.