ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday imposed a moratorium on executions during the upcoming holy month of Ramazan.

A notification was issued by the Federal Interior Ministry and provincial governments have also been requested to comply with the order.

During the month of Ramazan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, and refrain from eating and drinking.

The federal government had lifted the moratorium on the death penalty on Dec 17, 2014, in terrorism related cases only, in the wake of a Taliban attack at the Army Public School in Peshawar, which claimed 150 lives, most of them children.

Later, the government completely reinstated capital punishment for all offences that entail the death penalty.

Take a look: Death penalty moratorium lifted completely in Pakistan: Officials

The United Nations, the European Union, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have urged the government to re-impose the moratorium on the death penalty.

Critics say the country's criminal justice system is marred by police torture, poor legal representation for victims and unfair trials.

In Pakistan, hanging is the only legal method of execution.

Opinion

Editorial

Collective security
12 Mar, 2026

Collective security

ERASING previously defined ‘red lines’, the brutal US-Israeli war on Iran has brought regional states face to...
Spectrum leap
12 Mar, 2026

Spectrum leap

THE sale of 480 MHz of fifth-generation telecom spectrum for $507m is a major milestone in Pakistan’s digital...
Toxic fallout
12 Mar, 2026

Toxic fallout

WARS can leave environmental scars that remain long after the fighting is over. The strikes on Iran’s oil...
Token austerity
Updated 11 Mar, 2026

Token austerity

The ‘austerity’ measures are a ritualistic response to public anger rather than a sincere attempt to reform state spending.
Lebanon on fire
11 Mar, 2026

Lebanon on fire

WHILE the entire Gulf region has become an active warzone, repercussions of this conflict have spread to the...
Canine crisis
11 Mar, 2026

Canine crisis

KARACHI’S stray dog crisis requires urgent attention. Feral canines can cause serious and lasting physical and...