ISLAMABAD-
Pakistan Saturday defended lifting moratorium on death penalty in terrorism related cases, saying that the country is facing ‘difficult circumstances.’
‘Unusual situations demand extraordinary measures to cope with the challenges,’ the prime minister spokesman said after UN chief urged Pakistan to halt executions.
Musaddiq Malik, the PM’s spokesman, further said that Pakistan respects international community.
“Peaceful Pakistan is in the best interest of the whole world,” he added.
The PM’s spokesman statement came after UN chief Ban Ki-moon spoke with Prime Minister and urged to restore a moratorium on capital punishment.
“While fully recognizing the difficult circumstances, the secretary general urged the government of Pakistan to stop the executions of convicts and re-impose the moratorium on the death penalty,” Ban’s office said in a statement.
Sharif promised that “all legal norms would be respected,” the statement added.
