A ‘teen’ convict hanged in Pakistan

Shafqat Hussain the youngest of seven children, was hanged 10 to 12 minutes before dawn prayers today,” Hussain was arrested in kidnapping and killing of seven years boy  when he was working as a watchman in Karachi in 2004.

Hussain was originally due to face the noose in January but won four stays of execution as his lawyers fought to prove he was under 18 at the time of his offence and could therefore not be executed under Pakistani law. The Federal Investigation Agency, carried out an investigation and confirmed that he was an adult at the time of his conviction and proved to be guilty.

Pakistan has hanged around 180 convicts and has more than 8,000 prisoners on death row. The critics say Pakistan’s courts are largely unjust forums, with rampant police torture, poor legal representation for victims, and unfair trials.

The EU mission in Islamabad said it was “deeply concerned” by the resumption of hangings and warned that a prized trade status granted to Pakistan could be threatened unless it stuck to international conventions on fair trials, child rights and preventing torture.