"The News" Saturday, August 28, 1999
Pakistani authorities urged to abolish juvenile death penalty
ISLAMABAD: A Romebased human rights group and two visiting Italian parliamentarians have urged Pakistani authorities to abolish the death penalty for juveniles, the group's spokeswoman said on Friday.
Alessandra Filograno, spokeswoman for Hands off Cain, a private group working for the worldwide abolition of the death sentence, said discussions were held with the Pakistani authorities to end the penalty for teenagers.
"We are very concerned at the human rights situation (in Pakistan the death penalty for juveniles and the law on blasphemy," she told reporters in Islamabad.
She said Pakistan is one of only five countries in the world where juveniles are awarded a death sentence.
The two parliamentarians, Senator Marco Taradash and Senator Vincenzo Fragalà, along with two members of Hands Off Cain, are in Islamabad to discuss th6 possibility of an agreement with Pakistan for the exchange of convicted nationals.
Filograno said four Italian citizens, including a woman, were in Pakistani prisons, on drugsrelated charges but could carry out their prison sentences ill Italy if an agreement allowing the transfer existed between the two countries.
About 14 Pakistanis are carrying out their sentences in Italy for different crimes and could be transferred to Pakistan after an agreement.
The senators said they held meetings with Pakistani officials and opposition leaders to press that the age limit for juveniles be increased by Islamabad so that the courts do not sentence 13 or 14 yearolds to death.
The human rights situation in Pakistan has often come under scathing international criticism and the country's blasphemy law, which carries the death sentence, has also caused controversy.
Religious minorities in Moslem-majority Pakistan complain that the law is discriminatory and often used against them unfairly.
The Pakistani government denies that the law is aimed against the minorities and has refused to repeal it. Reuters
"The Dawn", Saturday, August 28, 1999
Italian HR group opposes juvenile death penalty
ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: A Rome based human rights group and two visiting Italian parliamentarians have urged Pakistani authorities to abolish the death penalty for juveniles, the group's spokeswoman said on Friday.
Alessandra Filograno, spokeswoman for Hands Off Cain, a private group working for the worldwide abolition of the death sentence, said discussions were held with the Pakistani authorities to end the penalty for teenagers.
"We are very concerned at the human rights situation (in Pakistan), the death penalty for juveniles and the law on blasphemy," she told reporters in Islamabad.
She said Pakistan was one of only five countries in the world where juveniles were awarded a death sentence.
The two parliamentarians, Senator Marco Taradash and Senator Vincenzo Fragalà, along with two members of Hands Off Cain, are in Islamabad to discuss the possibility of an agreement with Pakistan for the exchange of convicted nationals.
Ms Filograno said four Italian citizens, including a woman, were in Pakistani prisons on drugsrelated charges but could carry out their prison sentences in Italy if an agreement allowing the transfer existed between the two countries.
About 14 Pakistanis are carrying out their sentences in Italy for different crimes and could be transferred to Pakistan after an agreement.
The senators said they held meetings with Pakistani officials and opposition leaders to press that the age limit for juveniles be increased so that the courts did not sentence 13 or 14 yearolds to death.
Reuters
Our Islamabad Correspondent adds: Senators Marco Taradash and Vincenzo Fragalà met Law Minister Khalid Anwer, the former law minister Iqbal Haider, opposition leader in the Senate, Aitizaz Ahsan and human rights activist, Asma Jehangir, and discussed with them human rights, women's rights, Blasphemy. Law and minorities affairs.
The team visited jails in Lahore and Rawalpindi and met , one Italian woman serving jail term in Rawalpindi and three other Italian men in Lahore.
The spokesman said during their talk with the law minister they discussed the case of the Italian woman involved in drug trafficking to be shifted to Italy for spending the rest of her term in Italy. He said that the ministertold them that Pakistan was also concerned about human rights,. women's rights and minorities.
The spokesman said the government's response for transfer of the woman to Italy was positive. The Italian woman could serve the jail term in Italy, he said adding that we are working for an agreement in this connection with Pakistan.
"The National", Saturday, August 28, 1999
Italy to Sign extradition treaty with Pakistan
ISLAMABAD (PPI) Two visiting members of Italian Parliament including Senator Marco Taradash and Senator Vincenzo Fragalà have expressed the hope that Italy and Pakistan would soon sign extradition treaty for the mutual benefits of their nationals charged for various crimes.
"We are confident that Italian government would consider signing of extradition treaty with Pakistan so that an opportunity was provided to four Italian nationals including a women undergoing imprisonment in Pakistan on charges of drug trafficking to defend themselves against death penalty," they said while addressing a Press conference here at the Embassy of Italy on Friday. The Italian Senators who are also members of a human rights organisation called "Hands off Cain" said they were visiting Pakistan with two fold objective including visit and see the plight of Italian prisoners convicted on charges of drug trafficking and to persuade the Pakistani authorities to abolish the death penalty on juveniles.
