Saudi beheads another Pakistani for drug trafficking
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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia beheaded a Pakistani convicted of drug smuggling on Friday, the 73rd execution in the kingdom so far this year.
Shirin Khan was put to death in Riyadh province after being found guilty of smuggling heroin into the kingdom in swallowed balloons, the interior ministry said.
In the whole of 2014, Saudi Arabia carried out 87 executions, and Amnesty International has spoken of a “macabre spike” in the kingdom's use of the death penalty this year.
The Gulf has become an increasingly important market for illicit drugs in recent years, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says.
The Pakistani city of Karachi is a key transit point for heroin from Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia has carried out a spate of executions of Pakistani drugs mules.
Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Saudi Arabia's version of Islamic sharia law. The cabinet has affirmed that the kingdom's legal system ensures “justice for all”, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
But Christof Heyns, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said in September last year that trials “are by all accounts grossly unfair” and defendants are often not allowed a lawyer. He said confessions were obtained under torture.
The Gulf state has carried out around 80 executions annually since 2011. In comparison, Iran has executed more than 1,000 people since January last year, Ahmed Shaheed said the UN special rapporteur on Iran.
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Comments (43) Closed
May 01, 2015 06:06pm
Isis also behead people.
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May 01, 2015 06:30pm
Ironic, isn't it. These Arabs come to Pakistan, break all the laws and hunt endangered animals and then walk away. On the other hand, people who get arrested in Saudi Arabia are not even provided adequate representation and are beheaded like animals.
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May 01, 2015 06:43pm
Is it sharia law?
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May 01, 2015 06:44pm
Is this last Pakistani man to be hanged or still to go..
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May 01, 2015 06:54pm
Just imagine if it had happened in America or any other western country, what would have reaction in Pakistan. That tells lot about our society
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May 01, 2015 06:58pm
And the Saudis want us to fight their war in yemen.....
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May 01, 2015 07:04pm
When we going to reciprocate with Saudi Law breakers here in Pakistan?
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May 01, 2015 07:16pm
Saudi's best friend Nawaz sharif should ask them to handover our citizens to us instead of more and more humiliation for the country and the nation. We have already been suffered by the so called democratic and uniformed rulers. Enough is enough. But they are busy in making tonnes of money by way of corruption who cares common people.
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May 01, 2015 07:27pm
Pakistan embassy must establish for each case, it's genuiness, circumstances , reason, and most of fairness of trial. If ever a miscarriage of justice is carried out, then an innocent pakistanis life would have been taken.
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May 01, 2015 07:28pm
@Bachabassi,karachi
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May 01, 2015 07:30pm
@Bachabassi,karachi Just what I was thinking, I agree with you.
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May 01, 2015 08:14pm
Pakistan will stand one by one with Saudi if anyone attacked Saudi Arabia.Muslim brotherhood at his best!
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May 01, 2015 08:14pm
Unless I missed something, there was no beheading during the last 4-6 weeks while Saudis were wooing Pakistan to join the coalition. Now that that phase is over, it's back to business.
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May 01, 2015 08:16pm
@Omar There are still languishing in Saudi jails, waiting for their trials.
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May 01, 2015 08:19pm
It's a matter of supply and demand. stop the demand and supply will stop itself. Never heard of any buyer of these drugs ever got caught or punished.
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May 01, 2015 08:25pm
-Some people are guilty of this crime.
-Some are forced to transport drugs and their families threatened.
-Some are not guilty at all and are caught on as little as a suspicion or staff member having a bad day.
-All three of these cases are never provided a lawyer nor given a chance to defend their case.
These people are above the law on their visit to Pakistan hunting rare birds and our govt. shamelessly sells its soul for saudi money.
I can never accept SA as ally nor a country of humane people.
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May 01, 2015 08:29pm
This is a clear show of "Might is Right!". Surprisingly, the Government of Pakistan did not even represent her citizen facing death penalty abroad Saudi considering power struggle between the governments. Saudi violates the human rights in several dimensions.
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May 01, 2015 09:17pm
Tragic indeed.
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May 01, 2015 09:29pm
@Bachabassi,karachi Something wrong with the law in KSA. There two sides of drug trade; smuggler and user; supply and demand. Why is no one beheaded on the demand side? If it is legal to use drugs, why is it illegal supply drugs?
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May 01, 2015 09:56pm
Abode of Islam -- so babrbaric -- what a contradiction.
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May 01, 2015 09:57pm
@AXH Saudis do absolutely right. They don't break law in Pakistan without the consent of our government. Why should they allow Pakistanis to spread narcotics in KSA and ruin their future generations? In fact, they set a good example for us to follow so that we may become as peaceful and prosperous society as KSA.
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May 01, 2015 09:58pm
If Pakistan has to help Saudis to protect their country, they need to get rid of the barbaric laws, and join the civilized world. Tell them.
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May 01, 2015 10:04pm
It is so bad
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May 01, 2015 10:11pm
In China drug smugglers receive a swift trial and a swift execution without appeal.
Drug dealers are murder addicts with overdoses and the victims of addicts who commit crimes for money to feed their habits. Heroin use is an epidemic disease that will effect millions in South Asia in the future.
Opium destroyed Chinese family life in the last century, and weakened China for an invasion by Japan.
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May 01, 2015 10:11pm
@Sunil
There is no trial, get it through your think Indian head. They are given death sentences without trials. Please feel free to educate self through this comment if the news website allows at least one of my 4 comments to be posted.
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May 01, 2015 10:14pm
@In your face
Pakistan will have it's chance to be destroyed by drugs unless Pakistan does the same.
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May 01, 2015 10:15pm
@AXH
Drug smugglers are animals.
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May 01, 2015 10:21pm
@Bachabassi,karachi
What a good idea! When will that begin?
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May 01, 2015 10:29pm
Pakistan needs an extradition treaty with the Saudi brothers.
problem solved!
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May 01, 2015 10:43pm
It is the duty of all Islamic countries to get together and advise Saudi govt.to abolish beheadings and give life sentences or use other ways of punishment. A Life sentence with harsh conditions such as hard labor and uncomfortable living conditions, unappetizing food, etc. will have more impact on the criminals who have committed horrible crimes such as murder, rape, etc. The fact that one has to live that way for 20 yrs. or more will be hell. Whereas a quick beheading is a short time punishment.
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May 01, 2015 10:46pm
Last week Indonesia executed some convicted drug smugglers and the whole world criticized Indonesia. Why the world ignores Saudi Arabia's brutalities?
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May 01, 2015 10:47pm
So much for our PM & other political & military leaders in claiming brotherhood with Arabs. Don't you think it is about time we claimed our rightful heritage of Indus Valley, civilsed peoples, instead of pretending to be barbaric Arabs?
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May 01, 2015 11:25pm
Amnesty International can try to ensure all people get fair chance for getting lawyers, but they MUST not interfere with law of land which must prevail, as they say.
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May 01, 2015 11:55pm
What? Another one?
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May 02, 2015 12:07am
@CYRUS
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May 02, 2015 12:16am
I am only concerned because the victims were most likely not provided a fair and impartial trial. As far as the mechanics of execution, a clean , accurate and surgical beheading even though it has a good dramatic and graphic value , is probably the most humane way to kill any living being. The brain ceases to function in few nano seconds and no pain will be felt.
This does not condone the Saudis to carry on the execution using their draconian Islamic based court system where the alleged guilty has no chance to advocate for themselves.
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May 02, 2015 12:17am
You break laws you should be punished. If you smuggle drugs, then you should be punished. But then again if you hunt endangered birds, you should also be penalized. The Saudis are enforcing their laws. Are we? If you look closely, the problem is with us, not them.
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May 02, 2015 12:26am
Why is there a silence from Pakistani government? Australian government made lot of noise about their citizen being executed in Indonesia. They provided legal representation and later recalled their ambassador. Is Pakistani life of no value?
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May 02, 2015 12:41am
Though saudis are too rigid in giving punishments to non_saudis but they have different criteria for their own people . They are mostly released after giving the fine.
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May 02, 2015 03:43am
I admire Saudi Arabia for hanging drugs smugglers but they should find out why there is demand of drugs there. Its question of demand and supply. If all angels live there ,than no drug users should there.
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May 02, 2015 04:01am
@Rashid Sultan well said brother i am a Pakistani btw.
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May 02, 2015 05:15pm
@Furqan Which does not apply to The Saudi Clan!
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May 02, 2015 05:19pm
@Asim Munir how about buyer? Rich peeps from the royal clan eg!
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