LAHORE, November 7, 2008: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed dismay over the government of Pakistan prescribing the death penalty for those involved in ‘cyber-crimes’. In a statement issued on Friday, the Commission said: “The Prime Minister has, on numerous occasions, promised to discourage the imposition of capital punishment and execution of death penalty convicts. The HRCP wishes to remind the government that under customary international human rights law, the death penalty is accepted only in very rare circumstances -- including the most extreme nature of crime carried out with the use of lethal weapons. The human rights guarantees and safeguards against the imposition of the death penalty are numerous. The international community is moving towards the abolition of the death penalty and for sound reasons. The HRCP apprehends that the ordinance on ‘cyber-terrorism’ promulgated on Thursday will be seen as an oppressive law unless the punishments are proportionate to the crime and do not involve the death penalty. The present legal system in Pakistan does not guarantee due process and therefore the imposition of the death would only add to the miscarriage of justice suffered by thousands of people executed by the State. The HRCP urges the government to immediately exclude the death penalty from the list of punishments prescribed under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance.”