RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Thursday executed another Pakistani for heroin smuggling, bringing to six the number of convicted 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 other five Pakistanis beheaded since Oct 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.

Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2014