11-6-08

This is another version of the letters I wrote that Sara E wrote:
Dear President Zardari,

I am calling upon you to please commute the death sentence of Mr. Zulfiqar Ali. Please, please use your powers under Article 45 of the Constitution to save the life of a fellow human being. Mr. Ali is the father of two young daughters. His wife passed away in 2006 so he is their only living parent. Mr. President, these children need their father. The June 21 announcement that the death sentences of more than 7,000 people on death row would be commuted must be upheld. There is presently a worldwide trend towards the abolition of the death penalty. I believe in your power to be among the leaders of this movement. The UN General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on executions adopted on 18 December 2007 was an important moment in history. Please be among the supporters of this resolution. Please commute the death sentence of Zulfiqar Ali. Please save a human life. Please help end execution.

Thank you Sir,
Sara Earhart

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Here are the letters I have sent you in an e-mail:
You PRINT IT. SIGN IT. and DROP IT OFF IN THE NIEBUHR CENTER.

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SAMPLE LETTERS:
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Mr. Asif Ali Zardari,

On behalf of ZULFIQAR ALI and his daughters, I ask for you to use your
power under Article 45 of the Constitution to COMMUTE HIS DEATH SENTENCE.
I ask that you would implement the announcement from June 21 that stated
the death sentences of 7,000 people on death row would be commuted. Please
implement an immedaite MORATORIUM OF ALL EXECUTIONS, in accordance with
the UN General Assembly resolution adopted on 18 December 2007, which
reinforced the global trend of ABOLISHING THE DEATH PENALTY.

Sincerely,
-your name- (preferably sign it by hand in cursive, then print your name
underneath)

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Write Separately
================

Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrani,

On behalf of ZULFIQAR ALI and his daughters, I ask for you to use your
power under Article 45 of the Constitution to COMMUTE HIS DEATH SENTENCE.
I ask that you would implement the announcement from June 21 that stated
the death sentences of 7,000 people on death row would be commuted. Please
implement an immedaite MORATORIUM OF ALL EXECUTIONS, in accordance with
the UN General Assembly resolution adopted on 18 December 2007, which
reinforced the global trend of ABOLISHING THE DEATH PENALTY.

Sincerely,
-your name- (preferably sign it by hand in cursive, then print your name
underneath)

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HERE IS THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU ARE WRITING TO SAVE
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URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA

To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
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For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa30208.pdf


31 October 2008

UA 302/08 - Death Penalty

PAKISTAN Zulfiqar Ali (m), aged 38

Zulfiqar Ali was scheduled to be executed on 22 October, but his sentence
was not carried out, for reasons not known to Amnesty International. He
could be hanged at any time.

Zulfiqar Ali was arrested on 14 April 1998 on a charge of murder. Since
then, he has been detained at Adiala Central jail, in the city of
Rawalpindi, Punjab province. According to Pakistani non-governmental
organizations Ansar Burney Trust, his family could not afford to hire a
lawyer to represent him. It is unclear whether Zulfiqar Ali was provided
with a defense lawyer by the court, or whether he defended himself. If he
did not have the option to be assisted by a defense lawyer, his trial
would be in breach of international fair trial standards.

He had been scheduled to be executed on 8 October, but President Asif Ali
Zardari issued a two-week stay of execution on 7 October even though he
had previously rejected Zulfiqar Ali's mercy petition. President Zardari's
rejection of Zulfiqar Ali’s mercy petition occurred after an announcement
on 21 June by Prime Minister Gilani of the government's commitment to
commute death sentences to life imprisonment. However, this decision has
yet to be implemented.

Zulfiqar Ali is the only surviving parent of his two daughters, aged 10
and 11. His wife died of leukemia in 2006. While on death row, Zulfiqar
Ali gained a Masters degree in political science and is currently studying
for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Article 45 of the Constitution of Pakistan clearly states: "The President
shall have power to grant pardon, reprieve and respite and to remit,
suspend or commute any sentence passed by a court, tribunal or authority".

It is estimated that 159 people have been sentenced to death in Pakistan
in 2008, and around 35 people have been executed so far this year. Prime
Minister Gilani's announcement on June 21 that all existing death
sentences would be commuted is being considered by the Supreme Court of
Pakistan, which is to rule on its constitutionality. Fifteen of people
have been put to death after the Prime Minister’s statement.

There are currently more than 7,000 people who are on death row in
Pakistan. The former Human Rights Minister, Ansar Burney, stated that 60
to 65 percent of death row prisoners were innocent or "victims of a faulty
system".

On 18 December 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a
resolution on a worldwide moratorium on the use of the death penalty. The
former government of Pakistan, under President Pervez Musharraf, voted
against the resolution.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases. The death
penalty is a symptom of a culture of violence, and not a solution to it.
It has not been shown to have any greater deterrent effect than other
punishments, and carries the risk of irrevocable error. The death penalty
is the ultimate form of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, and a
violation of the right to life, as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- calling on the President to use his powers under Article 45 of the
Constitution to commute the death sentence handed down to Zulfiqar Ali;
- calling on the President Zardari to urgently implement the June 21
announcement that the death sentences of more than 7,000 people on death
row would be commuted;
- calling for an immediate moratorium on all executions in the country, in
accordance with the UN General Assembly resolution on a moratorium on
executions adopted on 18 December 2007, reinforcing the worldwide trend
towards abolition of the death penalty.


APPEALS TO:

Mr Asif Ali Zardari
Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: 011 92 51 9221422
011 92 51 2282741 (Faxes may be switched off outside office hours.
Pakistan is 6 hours ahead of GMT)
Salutation: Dear President Zardari


COPIES TO:

Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrani
Embassy of Pakistan
3517 International Ct., NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 686 1544
Email: info@embassyofpakistanusa.org
ambassador@embassyofpakistanusa.org


PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.


Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
Washington DC 20003
Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 202.544.0200
Fax: 202.675.8566

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In Peace,
Sara Schroeder