Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) expresses its deepest concern over the recent  announcement of the government of Pakistan to introduce the death penalty as a mean to  address the rising incidents of rape and child sexual abuse in the country.  

The debate around the use of public execution and castration of offenders in the wake of violence  against women and children suggests the willful ignorance of the state of its international  obligations under various human rights treaties that it has ratified. The narrative adopted by the  state can be seen as an attempt to deflect public scrutiny of the state’s failure in protecting  victim-survivor of sexual offences and the criminal justice system that is unable to achieve justice  against perpetrators 

ADPAN believes that the death penalty is cruel, inhuman and against all norms of civility. The  punishment has also failed to show any effectiveness in deterring future crimes. Pakistan’s  continued and unabated use of death penalty in the past echoes the global trend where it is not  the severity but the certainty of punishment that reduces crime in society. 

Pakistan penal code is already replete with more than 27 offences that carry the death penalty  and prescribing the death penalty for yet another offence will not deter and prevent future  crimes. Introduction of the death penalty to sexual offences will only violate international human  rights and it will not bring justice to the victim-survivors. 

ADPAN calls upon Pakistan to learn and adopt the studies conducted globally on the application  of the death penalty and its futility. ADPAN reiterate the global call for Pakistan to impose an  immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty for all offences in the country.  

ADPAN also urge Pakistan to introduce widespread educational reform and improvement to the criminal justice system as part of its policy agenda to protect and respect the rights of women  and children in the country.