Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry issued a statement on Thursday, 11 April, on the execution of two Pakistani nationals who were arrest for drug smuggling.
The case was referred to the appellate court and the Supreme Court, and both courts ruled in favour of execution. The ministry added that they had a “royal order” to implement the killing.
The duo were beheaded in Jeddah on Thursday.
According to Pakistani media outlet Dawn, the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) – a human rights organisation based in Lahore – harshly condemned the beheading.
JPP released a press statement to address the issue, adding that what was especially abhorrent was the "unprecedented execution of first Pakistani woman in five years."
What makes the development even more striking is that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are currently engaged in talks regarding the release of a prisoner.
The release added, “Despite being a close regional ally, the Kingdom executes more Pakistanis than any other foreign nationality, with 20 executions in 2014, 22 in 2015, 7 in 2016, 17 in 2017, 30 in 2018 and 14 this year so far. More Pakistanis are imprisoned in Saudi Arabia than any other country in the world, with the total exceeding 3,300 Pakistanis.”
JPP raised important points about the people most likely to be embroiled in drug trafficking, saying, “destitute Pakistanis face the harshest punishments due to their lack of understanding of and assistance with the legal process, incapability to communicate directly with the court and inability to produce evidence from Pakistan in their defence.”
They added that such executions are a “gross violation of all legal and moral protocols, and Islamic injunctions,” as often, the family members are not informed and the bodies are not returned.
(With inputs from Dawn)
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