March 1
PAKISTAN:
Hanging revives Pakistan capital punishment debate
Execution of Mumtaz Qadri, who killed Punjab governor Salman Taseer in 2011,
prompts muted celebration and protests.
The execution of a man who killed the head of government of Punjab province
over his call to reform strict blasphemy laws has revived the question of
capital punishment in Pakistan.
Mumtaz Qadri was a bodyguard for Salman Taseer when he shot the Punjab governor
dead in Islamabad in 2011.
After his arrest, he told police he had assassinated Taseer because he
championed the cause of a Christian woman sentenced to death in a blasphemy
case that arose out of a personal dispute.
Taseer had said the law was being misused and should be reformed.
Considering him a hero for defending Islam, Qadri's supporters took to the
streets of Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi following his
hanging early on Monday morning.
Celebration and protests
While there were protests in big numbers - and equal amount of muted
celebration - the hanging prompted outcry from various quarters that called for
a moratorium on executions "as a first step towards abolition of the death
penalty".
Champa Patel, director of Amnesty International's South Asia Regional Office,
said: "Taseer was a brave voice for religious tolerance in Pakistan and his
murderer should be brought to justice, but carrying out more killings is a
deplorable way to honour Taseer's life and message.
"The death penalty is always a human rights violation, regardless of the
circumstances or nature of the crime.
"While it is positive that the government is committed to tackling religious
extremism and is taking proactive steps to ensure perpetrators of violence are
brought to justice, carrying out yet more killings only continues the cycle of
violence."
Earlier, Qadri 's attorney said his client told him he had no regrets for
killing Taseer.
"I have met him twice in jail. He said that even if God gave me 50 million
lives, I would still sacrifice all of them," lawyer Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry
said.
Protesters briefly blocked the main road between Rawalpindi and Islamabad on
Monday after news of the hanging broke.
Police later dispersed them and closed off the road to prevent more
demonstrations.
Chaudhry predicted larger demonstrations as a nationwide strike on Tuesday has
been called by Qadri's supporters to protest against the hanging.
Late in 2011, an anti-terrorism court handed down a double death sentence to
Qadri for murder and terrorism. The sentence was appealed and upheld by the
Supreme Court late last year.
Jibran Nasir, a Pakistan lawyer and activist, says the country needs to unite
on the issue of blasphemy laws instead of it becoming a war between Qadri's
fans and Taseer's fans.
"I won't call anybody's death good news but the hanging has made a claim that
when the state is challenged, it would enforce its laws," Nasir said from
Karachi.
"Qadri's was a terrorist act and the Supreme Court upheld that. But when we see
people celebrating or protesting, those are fringe elements. We're not talking
about the liberals, moderates or even progressives here.
"What we need to remember is that Qadri was made this glorified poster boy of
this huge problem. He was just the trigger, a foot soldier and the ones he was
influenced by and looked up to are still roaming around freely."
No media coverage
National media played down news of the execution and the protests on orders of
the government, two senior TV news anchors told AFP news agency.
There was no coverage of crowds of angry Qadri supporters who flocked to pay
their respects at his family's house in Rawalpindi where his body was laid out
on a bed, his head surrounded by roses.
The funeral is expected to be held on Tuesday.
"I have no regrets," Qadri's brother Malik Abid told AFP, tears rolling down
his cheeks, while women chanted nearby.
He said the family had been called to the prison on Sunday evening by officials
who said Qadri was unwell.
But when they arrived, Qadri greeted them with the news that authorities had
deceived them and that his execution was imminent.
"I am proud of the martyrdom of my son," Qadri's father Bashir Awan told AFP,
adding he was ready to sacrifice all five of his other sons "for the honour of
the prophet".
Nasir, the lawyer, cautioned against making Qadri a hero in death, saying that
by the show of affection on the streets, the common man is likely to be
impressed by his actions.
"Qadri was showered with petals, sent cards on Valentine's Day, called a
warrior before his death and a martyr after his hanging," he said.
"We should not make him a celebratory and not give him unnecessary coverage."
More than 100 people are charged with blasphemy each year in predominantly
Muslim Pakistan, many of them Christians and other minorities.
Conviction of blasphemy carries a death sentence. No one has yet been hanged,
but those convicted languish
(source: mwcnews.net)
PHILIPPINES:
Electric float parade - Marcos favors death penalty only for drug lords
Independent vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. supports
the re-imposition of death penalty but only for drug lords.
Marcos issued the statement after swinging through vote-rich Rizal province
where the political kingpins of the province, led by former Governor Casimiro
"Ito" Ynares, Jr declared their support for Marcos' VP bid.
Antipolo City Mayor Casimiro "Junjun" Ynares, III and city hall officials
welcomed the senator who was the guest of honor at the flag raising ceremony
Monday.
Earlier, PDP-Laban presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte vowed to
sweep clean the country of illegal drug and impose the death penalty in the 1st
6 months of his administration if he is becomes president.
Marcos is the only son of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos who put on the
firing squad a Chinese drug lord.
While he is against the death penalty, Marcos said he would agree to its
re-imposition only against drug lords.
"These drug lords should be given the death penalty because it is clear that
they are destroying the future, our youth. They are destroying their lives, the
future of our country," he said. The next administration, he said should act
more resolutely in the fight against illegal drugs in the light of reports that
show that 93 % of barangays in Metro Manila are affected by illegal drugs.
He rued that even rural areas have been infiltrated by the illegal drug trade.
"The newest development that came out is the report that even rural areas have
been penetrated by these drug lords which is the reason why the problem has
become so serious," he stressed.
Based on other countries' experience in fighting illegal drugs, it is not the
amount of money used in the campaign that would make a difference. It is the
foundation of the family, Marcos noted.
Illegal drugs in the United States remains a serious problem despite the
allocation of more than a trillion dollar budget, he added.
Values formation
However, in other countries that do not consider illegal drugs a serious
concern, they put strong emphasis on values formation and the strong foundation
of the family.
"Let's take a look at America. Their so-called 'War on Drugs,' they spend more
than a trillion dollars but the problem remains big. Then let's take a look at
countries that do not consider drugs a serious problem and we could see that
they put emphasis on the family. Their parents play a major role in the lives
of their children. Values formation is what they call it," he said.
"In my opinion, let's not think that the problem on illegal drugs is a problem
only for the police to solve or the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency).
It is a problem of the whole Philippines, our society," he said.
The senator, who has been advocating for unity in his campaign, said this is
also the best deterrent against the moneyed drugs lords who have the ability to
bribe their way out of every case that may be filed against them.
"The problem is these drugs lords could easily use their money to bribe almost
everyone and this is what we should change. We should all be involved, from the
police operation to the cases filed in court. Let's involve our parents, our
teachers, our church leaders, every member of society and let's go back to
values formation," he said.
Marcos stressed that "this is the kind of unity that we need right now because
with unity everything is possible and we can certainly put an end to this
problem on illegal drugs if we have unity."
(source: mb.com.ph)
INDIA:
High Court to hear confirmation hearing in Yug case
After Nagpur Sessions Court awarded double death penalty to Rajesh Daware and
Arvind Singh, the perpetrators involved in kidnapping and diabolical murder of
8 year old Yug Chandak, Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court will hear the
confirmation hearing.
As per section 366 of the Criminal Procedure Code, confirmation hearing before
the High Court is mandatory in which entire evidence is examined and assessed.
The record sent by Sessions Court was placed before a division bench consisting
of Justice Bhushan Dharmadhikari and Justice Vinay Deshpande who directed the
registry to prepare the paper book at the earliest.
At the same time, the High Court issued notices to both the convicts. So far,
they had not filed any appeal challenging the conviction by Principal District
and Sessions Judge KKSonawane.
The Sessions Court found Rajesh and Arvind guilty of kidnapping for ransom
under section 364 A of the IPC and for murder of the child under section 302
and awarded a rare double death penalty.
The Principal District Judge had also refused to show any leniency to both
accused cited cruel mentality of accused, grid for the money, rage and no value
for human life as compelling reasons for handing down death penalty to accused
duo who hatched a deliberate and well planned conspiracy after thoughtful
process that led to killing of an innocent child.
The Sessions Court had also awarded lifer to Rajesh and Arvind along with fine
of Rs. 10,000 each for hatching a criminal conspiracy.
Also the 2 accused were also sentenced to 7 years rigorous imprisonment and
fine of Rs. 5,000 after being found guilty of destroying the evidence.
Government Pleader Bharati Dangre represented State while Adv Rajendra Daga
appeared for Chandak family.
(source: thehitavada.com)
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