Saudi Arabia beheads sixth Pakistani in three weeks

E-Paper | May 05, 2026

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday executed a Pakistani for heroin smuggling, bringing to six the number of convicted Pakistani drug smugglers beheaded over the past three weeks.

The sentence against Amin Allah Zar Gul was carried out in Riyadh after he was “found guilty of trying to smuggle heroin in his gut,” the official Saudi Press Agency said.

The five other Pakistanis beheaded since October 15 are among 65 people executed this year in the kingdom.

The interior ministry says the government is battling narcotics “because of their great harm to individuals and society”.

A United Nations independent expert called in September for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

Christof Heyns, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said trials “are by all accounts grossly unfair” and defendants are often not allowed a lawyer. He said confessions were obtained under torture.

Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Saudi Arabia's strict version of Islamic sharia law.

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Khalid

Nov 06, 2014 09:35pm

ANother one trying to make quick money. This is how all of us have started living our lives. You don't hear of any other nationality trying to smuggle drugs into Saudi Arabia. What a waste of life. Why can't we Pakistanis learn to earn a decent living by studying and working hard?

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Rohan

Nov 06, 2014 09:43pm

Excellent all countries should take such harsh measures against drug trafficking. Time to rise above petty nationalism. Pakistan should welcome such decisions.

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raja hindustani

Nov 06, 2014 09:47pm

beheading for any reason is cruel. Can you imagine how much relatives of culprit will horrify when they see the beheaded body of victim. Its Inhuman things to be done even to your most dreaded enemy.

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Kumar

Nov 06, 2014 09:53pm

Pakistan is in world news headlines everyday...mostly due to bad reason.

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AnObserver

Nov 06, 2014 10:02pm

@raja hindustani While the sentiment is horrifying, technically, beheading is the least painful form of death. Nonetheless, it does sound horrifying i give you that. But then again, its a Kingdom and they have their rules, if you can't respect and follow them, you should not be there. There's always a right way to do things, it may not be the easiest way, but still.

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Winnerman

Nov 06, 2014 10:03pm

Double standards in Saudi Arabia make these harsh punishments a joke. White man commits even a bigger crime. Have you ever heard that a European/American white man been beheaded? There is hush hush whenever Saudis deal with white man trial. Only poor from third world countries are sacrificed under duress to instill fear in the Saudi nation. That is a tactic being practice for decades to protect illegitimate Saudi Monarchy...

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Ganga Din

Nov 06, 2014 10:05pm

@raja hindustani : Calling it 'cruel' is subjective and I respect your opinion but one thing is for sure: no one from his family will ever try to smuggle heroin into SA.

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Rajab Ali

Nov 06, 2014 10:16pm

Why such people not intercepted upon departure!

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Ramdev Yadav

Nov 06, 2014 10:22pm

People will find other ways, routes or poor people from struggling countries to do such jobs. This beheading is ridiculously disproportionate punishment for a crime that this man might have been forced to commit by others. There are a lot of people who lure Indians/Pakistanis into jobs abroad and take huge sums of money from them. Those people can easily force a man in Saudi to commit a crime for them if he wishes to continue in job. Mostly these labourers have massive loans, that is the reason they go abroad. Saudis do not seem to give a second thought before beheading people of poor nations, women or rape victims.

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hassan

Nov 06, 2014 10:30pm

Back in 2006, A saudi Prince, Nayef al-Chaalan's Boeing 727 was caught in Paris with $50 Million worth of cocaine. What action did saudi government took against him ???

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Ahmer

Nov 06, 2014 10:40pm

What a barbaric way of killing.

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Tariq

Nov 06, 2014 10:43pm

@Khalid Because many of us, especially youngsters, hate to work hard. In academics we blame our teachers for making us work hard and in professional life we blame our immediate supervisors. Many of us study or work just for the sake of it.

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kalim

Nov 06, 2014 10:44pm

The population of world has crossed seven billion. Now it is impossible to make all people good. There are every type of people in world. Such harsh laws in said cases are to be appreciated if every one in saudia is to be treated equally. But unfortunately Saudi people are exempted to be guilty in such type of crimes in practice. Laws in saudia are only for foreigners.

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Khan

Nov 06, 2014 10:49pm

thousands of afghanis are on pak passport in saudia . more than half of the smugglers are afghani with pak passport. thanks to the corrupt NADRA officials. and specially in punjab its takes a few thousand to make ID card and then a passport.

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siddharth

Nov 06, 2014 10:52pm

Beheading is indeed inhuman. However on second thought I feel India should adopt it for rapists, then we will have one problem less to deal with.

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Chicago_guy10@yahoo.com

Nov 06, 2014 10:55pm

Smuggling drugs of any kind is a hideous crime and should be dealt with strongly, but so is exporting terrorism, Saudi’s are the single biggest source of terrorism export with money and men power, I wonder who should be beheaded for that crime

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Shah, Canada

Nov 06, 2014 11:04pm

Amin Allah Zar Gul looks like an Afghani name.... many Afghanis refuges are manipulating the system to get Pak IC cards and Passports. Later on they go abroad and commit crime. However It does not mean Pakistanis does not commit crimes. I have seen here in Canada many Afghanis have Pak IC and passports... Our Govt is responsible in tarnishing the name of our country.

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Shams

Nov 06, 2014 11:09pm

The Punishment is fine the question is that did he receive a fair trial ? Not by a far chance.

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Bing-Bud-A-Bang

Nov 06, 2014 11:47pm

@AnObserver - So, how do you know 'beheading is the least painful form of death'.......?

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jamal

Nov 07, 2014 12:08am

same punishment should apply in our countries but giving the guilty one last warning...

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Tanvir

Nov 07, 2014 12:28am

This is not only inhuman but also mostly flawed system. Those who are netted are not provided fair trial to prove their innocense or minor role. There are Saudi Nationals who will receive the smuggled drugs consignment and would sell to covert and select customers. Why investigators have consistently failed to arrest any Saudi National who would make most of the money by selling the smuggled drugs. That's why simply to create fear and to show govt. is diligent 3rd world nationals are used as scape goat. This is far from justice.

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suresh

Nov 07, 2014 12:45am

Why are they smuggling in to another muslim country? Just for easy money at the cost of job provider country people? Is there any thing called humanity for this smugglers? Shame on their learning and their elders.

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suresh

Nov 07, 2014 12:49am

@Tanvir You should know if you don't smuggle in to the country all successor problems won't happen at all? blaming culture?

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MSAlvi

Nov 07, 2014 12:54am

The poor guy got beheaded just for smuggling heroin into the country. Who was he smuggling it for? Perhaps the Arabs, and perhaps the royals. Why are they not caught and beheaded? But then it's a kingdom, not a country in the real sense.

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Hassan

Nov 07, 2014 01:03am

In Saudi Arabia, Laws are spider webs through which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught.

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Naren

Nov 07, 2014 01:05am

Wondering who there customers are? What about them?

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DONNIE

Nov 07, 2014 01:07am

Instead of beheading the mule (carrier) behead the handler in Saudi Arabia.

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Tamilselvan

Nov 07, 2014 01:08am

No one is concerned about the punishment but the concern is how the trial is conducted before someone is found guilty and beheaded. Why can't it be a open court, the alleged culprit is represented properly, witnesses are not coerced etc. This justice is more from middle ages and it is not applied to all citizens. The world has a problem with the way the trials conducted and verdict passed. Is the judge a mullah or someone who has understood the law etc.

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timurid

Nov 07, 2014 01:26am

When there are so many poor mules risking their lives to transport heroin into the KSA there is obviously a market of junkies in the kingdom. We haven't seen the kingdom do anything to arrest the spread of heroin addiction in the Holy Land. Perhaps because at least a few of the customers reside in the princely quarters? Drug problems can't be solved by choking the supply but only by eliminating the demand.

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Dr Rabcharan Mustafa

Nov 07, 2014 01:30am

The divine law passed by God himself to humanity ensures humans stay on right track. Such public beheadings should be introduced as norm in society to remove lawlessness. That shall ensure a just and prosperous society.

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Kashif

Nov 07, 2014 01:31am

Death penalty for narcotics smuggling - unfair and only a poor man's fate! Somebody without any decent livelihood provided by his own country. Disowned by Pak govt. in life and death. Shame on our govt., banding over backwards to appease these hypocritical tyrants of Saudi Arabia. No questions asked by our leaders, unlike other countries who manage to get their nationals extradited back home without any punishment.

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Waleed Ahmed

Nov 07, 2014 02:03am

Unfortunally another pakistani..! Well their law is clear and if someone is found red-handed like this person who tried to smuggle drug in his gut, then their is absolutely no need of lawyer to defend him. Penalities must be imposed especially in our country for crimes such as rape and murder. We should learn lesson from saudi, and execute death penalty instead of keeping these criminals in prisions upon the wishes of UN or whatever.

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Zaheer

Nov 07, 2014 02:06am

It is tragic that 6 Pakistanis have been beheaded in 3 weeks by Saudi government. Can Pakistan even dare to behead a single Saudi even after he/she is foudn guilty of most severe crime in Pakistan? Unfortunately, Nawaz government is the most dishonest and corrut government that has ever been there and it doesn't care what happens to Pakistanis abroad.

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Uzma

Nov 07, 2014 02:12am

Whatever the punishment, the defendants should at least be allowed a lawyer. It would suck if the person charged was not even guilty.

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Jaleel Rahman

Nov 07, 2014 02:22am

Some of these guys are afghans. And most of the drugs are consumed by very well to do saudies and in many cases they import the drugs through these poor people.

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Bea

Nov 07, 2014 02:27am

@raja hindustani its also inhuman to sell and smuggle drugs these people know what they are doing greed is also a factor they do not care so when they get caught they pay the price they should think of their own families before they smuggle drugs.

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independentthinker

Nov 07, 2014 02:35am

Obviously the demand for narcotics is so high, our people are willing to take a chance! While I would control the supply side of this problem, I think one needs to look at the demand side as well. What are the Saudis doing with their populations, that have obviously become drug addicts?

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sam shafi

Nov 07, 2014 03:40am

How about punishing the consumers of drugs - but no that means beheading Saudis. They are too racist for that.

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Nov 07, 2014 04:11am

They could have given severe punishment. Shows uncivilized and barbaric approach in this day and age.

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Amjad Khan

Nov 07, 2014 04:21am

I was working in Saudi Arabia for an American company for three years I was lucky in a way that I did not work for an Arab employer majority of which are racist people Whenever there was a beheading it was someone from a poor country like Yeman Pakistan India Philipins etc The luggage of Americans or Euoropeans was never searched They had access to liquor drugs and pornography No questions asked Anybody who thinks Saudis are religious society is either dumb or hypocrite

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Halim

Nov 07, 2014 04:29am

These are Afghan national with Pakistani passport, its an attempt to malign Pakistan...

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A Koltun

Nov 07, 2014 04:49am

Who set the dead man up with the supply of heroin, eh? Who is the dalal/ go between who arranged matters? The little people are killed like flies. It would be so much better for the Saudis (and yes, the US Attorney, too!) to work *with* arrested couriers, do real detective work, and ID the big rich people w powertoni who are actually orchestrating the show. But doing real detective work means running the risk of IDing someone rich and influential, maybe someone rich enough to purchase favor from even bigger people. It also requires doing real work, out in the sun, instead of sitting indoors drinking chai all day.

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Ash

Nov 07, 2014 05:03am

That's so bad. Say no to capital punishment please.

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RIP

Nov 07, 2014 05:38am

here we go , terrorist +drug smuggler

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Asif

Nov 07, 2014 05:54am

These barbaric beheadings must stop. There are more human way for death penalty. In Today's age and time it doesn't send the right message to the rest of the word.

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mike ghaous USA

Nov 07, 2014 06:06am

i dont think the couriers act alone, what about the mastermind?

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Robert Sshaw

Nov 07, 2014 06:09am

It could be a collaboration between India and Saudi to finish all Pakistan people slowly in this way. poor Pakistani people.

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Zubair

Nov 07, 2014 06:14am

For GOD sake,Educate the people about these dreadful drugs which lead to the horrific ending of their lives. And an appeal for Saudis,Can you show some Mercy , instead of beheading and taking ones life ,Expell such persons from your Kingdom to get rid of them.May be they get the chance of Tauba and be forgiven by GOD Almighty.

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NORI

Nov 07, 2014 06:22am

6 Pakistanis beheaded in 3 weeks !! some questions: If what Saudi Arabia says is correct, why only Pakistanis are doing this drug business ? Did Saudi government offer any proof of their smuggling ? Last but not least, did Pakistani government bother to ask Saudi Arabia any proof (unless it trusts the brotherly Islamic country)?

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Allaisa

Nov 07, 2014 06:23am

They keep coming. And they keep losing their heads. Isn't there an end?

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Allaisa

Nov 07, 2014 06:26am

@Shah, Canada Yea Pakistanis do not commit crimes. Must be somebody else. May be an Afghan trained by an Indian and probably not even a Muslim as Muslims can not commit these crimes either.

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Sialkotia

Nov 07, 2014 06:28am

@Rajab Ali ....Because they bring Foreign Exchange.

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REDDY

Nov 07, 2014 06:28am

Beheading anyone including a smuggler who probably trying to make a living is highly condemnable...if it was an American then I wonder what would have been the sentence........6th pakistani in recent weeks...seriously what is Pak govt doing?

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Sialkotia

Nov 07, 2014 06:28am

Islamic Republic Of Pakistan, zindabad

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Zalmad

Nov 07, 2014 06:44am

Saudi's are axis of evil for muslims, they are the single biggest cause of Pakistan under attack by Talibans and terrorist. I hope ISIS gets them quickly

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indian

Nov 07, 2014 06:55am

@hassan pechee jor bhi to hona chahiye

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GKBaloch

Nov 07, 2014 06:57am

If you have to kill him , simply hang him. Why chop off his head ? How do you hand over his body to his kin folks , a headless corpse ?

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Chand S

Nov 07, 2014 07:29am

@Rohan There are many countries who have zero tolerance for drugs and have capital punishment for drug offense but having said that beheading is inhuman. This to me is a stone age practice and Islamic law needs to be reformed to reflect modern day values.

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Chand S

Nov 07, 2014 07:45am

@Dr Rabcharan Mustafa I wonder what kind of a Dr you are supporting most inhumane form of punishment.

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Last Word

Nov 07, 2014 09:14am

If Saudi Arabia is showing no mercy to Pakistanis then why is Pakistan silent on SA giving millions to terrorists organisations and madrassas in Pakistan who are killing thousands of innocent people in the country ?

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amin Sheedi

Nov 07, 2014 09:43am

@hassan they caught in charter plane without public information

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raj

Nov 07, 2014 09:52am

@Winnerman , I think your perceptions is wrong . If anybody found to be guilty then he should ready to face justice. You can't blame on white person and whole judicial system .

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raj

Nov 07, 2014 09:55am

@Khan it's your countrymen corrupt then it's your problem and you should sort out of these problem .

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saad s

Nov 07, 2014 10:18am

why only Pakistan is highlighted in every bad news??what about other 50 beheaded ppl? where were they belong to?

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saad s

Nov 07, 2014 10:20am

@Khalid why are u so hard on own country? dont u know that in other countries this is happened at much more higher level. the difference is they hide and our media highlighted.

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