Pakistani heroin smuggler executed in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh: A Pakistani heroin smuggler Khan Iqbal was executed in the holy city of Makkah on Tuesday.

The executions are carried out by beheading with a sword, in what the ministry says is a deterrent.

Rights experts have raised concerns about the fairness of the trials.

Khan Iqbal has smuggled a large amount of heroin in his intestines.
Iqbal is the 149th local or foreigner put to death this year, against 87 for all of 2014.The rate of execution in Saudi Arabia this year is the highest since 192 people were put to death in 1995.

Since last few weeks, there has been a drop in executions, the rights experts says the death penalty should not be applied in drug cases. The European Union (EU) had passed a statement that number of people had put to death for drug trafficking.

It said that”The EU is opposed to capital punishment in all cases and without exception,”

Murder, drug trafficking, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death under the kingdom’s strict Islamic legal code.