The Senate’s Standing Committee on Human Rights, led by Senator Walid Iqbal, convened at the Parliament House to deliberate on proposed statutory amendments related to capital offences.
The committee, through a majority vote, firmly opposed any amendments advocating for public executions. They emphasized the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and Pakistan’s adherence to international laws, urging the House to reject such legislative proposals.
Despite the majority stance, Senators Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani and Dr. Humayun Mohmand expressed their reservations, arguing that the decision was made hastily without thorough research on the potential deterrent effects of public executions.
The committee received comprehensive briefings from the Ministry of Human Rights and the National Commission for Human Rights Secretary. These presentations included a review of the 1994 Supreme Court judgment and the 2018 Lahore High Court decision, both of which upheld human dignity against the backdrop of public executions.
The briefings also discussed Pakistan’s obligations under international conventions, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, highlighting the inhuman nature of public executions and their counterproductive impact on society.
The committee postponed further discussion on implementing the “Bangkok Rules” in Pakistan to a later meeting, which will include the Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women. They also requested additional data on the matter from all Pakistani provinces.
The meeting saw the attendance of Senators Dr. Mehr Taj Roghani, Dr. Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, Kamran Michael, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, and Syed Waqar Mehdi, along with senior officials from related departments.
