Zubair Qureshi
Ambassador of France Nicolas Galey on Thursday co-organized at his residence the debut screening of a short movie “Unfathomable” prepared by the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) marking the 21st World Day Against Death Penalty.
Minister for Human Rights, Khalil George, Chairperson of the Commission on the Rights of Child (CRC) Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq and Executive Director of the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) Sarah Belal were among the noted guests, Sarah Belal, in fact, the co-organizer and the main leading force for she has been working on the plight of those prisoners who are facing imminent death after their mercy petitions were turned down by the President of Pakistan.
The Unfathomable shows the miserable life of Gujranwala’s Afzal, a convict facing death on charges of killing 8 of his family members.
Among the guests, there was a galaxy of the EU countries’ ambassadors and diplomats including the EU Ambassador Dr Riina Kionka, Italian ambassador Andreas Ferraris, German envoy Alfred Grannas, Polish envoy Maciej Pisarski, Hungary’s Béla Fazekas, Austrian ambassador Andrea Wicke, Ambassador Irena Gancheva of Bulgaria, Ambassador of Spain Jose Antonio de Ory all reaffirming their commitment to support abolition of death penalty in Pakistan.
UK’s newly-appointed High Commissioner Jane Marriott and UNESCO’s Representative in Pakistan Dr Youssef Filali Meknassi and Ambassador of Brazil Olyntho Viera and Valerie Khan, activist and vocal advocate for women and children rights were also among the guests who had come to join their voices against the death penalty.
In his welcome address, Nicolas Galey, the ambassador said the movement for universal abolition of death penalty was gaining momentum and after joining of the four new states—Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic (CAR)—the number of the member states has reached the historic figure of 125.
Every year, on October 10 World Day Against Death Penalty is observed, said the ambassador adding, “France like EU partners and dozens of countries around the world, is firmly opposed to it in all places and under all circumstances.”
The ambassador expressed his concerns that despite the progress, executions are continuing and in the last year alone, the number of executions was the highest in five years i.e. 883 in 220 countries making 53pc as compared to the previous year. Capital punishment he said was a cruel and unjust punishment, he said quoting Victor Hugo who in 1848 while addressing the French Parliament as its member had said, “The death penalty is the special and eternal sign of barbarism.” He also paid tribute to Sarah Belal and her JPP for leading a courageous, vigorous and determined action against capital punishment. She is a role model for her community and a recipient of the Franco-German Human Rights Prize, he said.
