Pakistan Lifts Death Penalty Moratorium

By Kristen E. McCannon

Pakistan lifted the moratorium on the death penalty on March 19.  Pakistan emphasized that capital punishment does not violate international law. The European Union previously issued a statement expressing concern that the death penalty in the Pakistani criminal justice system does not conform to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). However, a spokeswoman for the Pakistani Foreign Office rebutted the claims of the European Union, arguing that the death penalty does conform to the ICCPR.