Report Mission of Investigation Slow march to the gallows Death penalty in Pakistan Executive Summary. 5 Foreword: Why mobilise against the death penalty . 8 Introduction and Background . 16 I. The legal framework . 21 II. A deeply flawed and discriminatory process, from arrest to trial to execution. 44 Conclusion and recommendations . 60 Annex: List of persons met by the delegation . 62 n° 464/2 - January 2007 Slow march to the gallows. Death penalty in Pakistan Table of contents Executive Summary. 5 Foreword: Why mobilise against the death penalty . 8 1. The absence of deterrence . 8 2. Arguments founded on human dignity and liberty. 8 3. Arguments from international human rights law . 10 Introduction and Background . 16 1. Introduction . 16 2. Overview of death penalty in Pakistan: expanding its scope, reducing the safeguards. 16 3. A widespread public support of death penalty . 19 I. The legal framework . 21 1. The international legal framework. 21 2. Crimes carrying the death penalty in Pakistan . 21 3. Facts and figures on death penalty in Pakistan. 26 3.1. Figures on executions . 26 3.2. Figures on condemned prisoners . 27 3.2.1. Punjab . 27 3.2.2. NWFP. 27 3.2.3. Balochistan . 28 3.2.4. Sindh . 29 4. The Pakistani legal system and procedure. 30 4.1. The intermingling of common law and Islamic Law . 30 4.2. A defendant's itinerary through the courts . 31 4.2.1. The trial . 31 4.2.2. Appeals . 31 4.2.3. Mercy petition . 31 4.2.4. Stays of execution . 33 4.3. The case law: gradually expanding the scope of death penalty . 33 5. The Qisas and Diyat Ordinance and its impact on death penalty . 34 6. The case of Juveniles . 38 7. The situation in specific areas . 38 8. Special Laws - The Anti-Terrorism Act . 40 II. A deeply flawed and discriminatory process, from arrest to trial to execution. 44 1. The defects of police investigation . 44 1.1. Recent changes in the police system and investigation service . 44 1.2. The procedure in case of a criminal investigation . 45 1.2.1. The procedure in theory… . 45 1.2.2. … and its defects in practice . 46 1.3. Relying almost exclusively on witnesses . 47 1.4. Illegal detention, torture and extrajudicial executions . 47 1.5. Corruption, social and political pressure. 48 1.6. The problem of forensic investigation . 49 2. A faulty judicial process - no fair trial . ..