THIS refers to some diplomats of European countries who visited the Sindh chief minister on June 9 and got the hanging of death-row prisoner Shafqat Hussain stayed. The accused had kidnapped a seven-year old child, demanded ransom and later killed the boy.

However, the person who got it stopped will face the wrath of the contempt of orders of the Supreme Court as well as of the president of Pakistan.

In the Islamic Shariah only the victim’s family can forgive the criminal. Not even the president has the right for any re-consideration on any grounds unless the family proposes it. This has been upheld by a full bench of the Supreme Court in Civil Appeals No 28 and 39 decided on July 19, 1992, by a bench headed by Chief Juctice Nasim Hasan Shah.

The EU countries have made an uncalled-for intervention in the judicial system of Pakistan. Why is there no compassion for the young innocent victim’s parents?

How many delegations EU has sent to the US and to these states for clemency of death sentence to the murderers? Not even once as they dare not. Ever since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976, in the US, 34 states have performed executions.

In 2013, 39 inmates were executed in the US, and 3,088 were on death row. Many states such as Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Missouri, Ohio, Virginia, Utah and Arizona regularly execute convicted murderers.

They put travel advisory restrictions on us and also have the audacity to support countries who cause terrorism in Pakistan. Sorry, clearly their motives are less than noble and are certainly biased.

Sajid Ansari

Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2015

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