Pakistan

RetentionistLegal status of the death penalty*
5000Number of individuals currently under sentence of death
0Executions in 2022
0Executions in 2021
0Executions in 2020

2019Last known execution
HangingMethod(s) of execution
YesParty to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
NoParty to the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty
Not applicableParty to the American Convention on Human Rights
Not applicableParty to the Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty
NoUN Moratorium Resolution (2010): cosponsor
AgainstUN Moratorium Resolution (2010): vote
YesUN Moratorium Resolution (2010): has signed the Note Verbale of Dissociation
NoUN Moratorium Resolution (2012): cosponsor
AgainstUN Moratorium Resolution (2012): vote
YesUN Moratorium Resolution (2012): has signed the Note Verbale of Dissociation
UnclearDoes the country have a mandatory death penalty?
2023-05-23Last update


Source: Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide
*Source of classification: Amnesty International

Related document(s)

Document(s)

The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2024

on 12 March 2025


2025

NGO report

China

Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Drug Offenses

Fair Trial

Gender

Indonesia

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Iraq

Legal Representation

Malaysia

Moratorium

Pakistan

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

Trend Towards Abolition

Viet Nam

Women


More details See the document

The Death Penalty for Drug Offences: Global Overview 2024 report provides updates on legislative, policy and practical developments related to the use of capital punishment for drug offences, a practice which is a clear violation of international human rights and drug control standards. This report presents an analysis of key developments, with a focus on analysing and disseminating available figures and trends on drug-related executions and death sentences.

  • Document type NGO report
  • Countries list China / Democratic People's Republic of Korea / Indonesia / Iran (Islamic Republic of) / Iraq / Malaysia / Pakistan / Saudi Arabia / Singapore / Viet Nam
  • Themes list Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment / Drug Offenses / Fair Trial / Gender / Legal Representation / Moratorium / Trend Towards Abolition / Women

Document(s)

Death Penalty in Pakistan: Data Mapping Capital Punishment – 2024

By Justice Project Pakistan, on 10 October 2024


2024

NGO report

Pakistan


More details See the document

As we commemorate the World Day Against the Death Penalty, Justice Project Pakistan presents the third edition of its annual statistics report, Death Penalty in Pakistan: Data Mapping Capital Punishment. This report offers a thoroughly updated and comprehensive analysis of the implementation of the death penalty in Pakistan.

Over the past decade, significant developments have shaped the landscape of capital punishment in Pakistan. This report delves into the data and provides an insightful overview of a period marked by a profound re-evaluation of the death penalty. Its aim is to highlight these developments through detailed statistical analysis and contextual insights.

Since the lifting of the moratorium on executions in December 2014, the administration of death sentences has undergone substantial changes. The statistics reflect a complex interplay of legal processes, judicial decisions, and evolving societal attitudes that influence the application of capital punishment. This edition captures these shifts and provides key findings on trends, patterns, and the underlying drivers.

  • Document type NGO report
  • Countries list Pakistan

Document(s)

Justice Project Pakistan, Pakistanis Imprisoned Abroad Database

By Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), on 7 February 2024


2024

NGO report

Pakistan


More details See the document

Pakistan is counted among the countries that rely heavily on foreign remittances for economic stability and foreign reserves. However, despite its dependence on foreign remittances from migrant workers, Pakistan has done little to protect its vulnerable citizens from landing in foreign jails. As a result, Pakistan has seen a significant increase in the number of prisoners and executions abroad. Inadequate oversight and the lack of proper enforcement of existing protections is a literal death sentence for scores of Pakistanis who simply seek a better life and improved prospects for loved ones by working abroad.

  • Document type NGO report
  • Countries list Pakistan

Document(s)

Death Penalty in Pakistan

By Justice Project Pakistan, on 10 October 2022


2022

NGO report

Pakistan


More details See the document

The implementation of capital punishment has seen substantial shifts over the course of the past decade. During the period from the end of a moratorium on executions in December 2014 to August 2019, an estimated 1,800 death sentences were imposed across the entire court system and 520 people were executed. Various amendments to Pakistan’s criminal law over the past several decades have resulted in a list of 33 offenses, most of which are far removed from the definition of the “most serious crimes” under international law. A full list of offences is attached at the end of the report.

  • Document type NGO report
  • Countries list Pakistan
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Members

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
Justice Project Pakistan (JPP)
Legal Awareness Watch (LAW)
Marvi Rural Development Organization

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