A Press Release from Ansar Burney Trust forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)

PAKISTAN: Ansar Burney to help 17 Indians facing death row in UAE

A noted Human Rights Activist Ansar Burney on Monday said the trust he runs would provide legal and moral help to 17 Indians who allegedly killed a Pakistani man in Sharjah.

Terming the death sentence as "shocking" and "against justice", Burney said, "As per media reports 17 Indian nationals were accused of being the leaders of a mob of up to 50 people who allegedly beat the Pakistani man to death with metal bars in a fight over control of illegal liquor business.

"We have no sympathy what-so-ever with hardened criminals and terrorists but we are worried as how, in a single murder case, any court can sentence 17 people," Ansar Burney, Pakistan's former Federal Minister for Human Rights and Chairman of the international trust that functions under his name, said.

"The death sentence to 17 people at a time in one murder case is rather shocking and also against human dignity and justice. So the Ansar Burney Trust, in the greater interest of human dignity and justice, has decided to give maximum possible help to 17 Indians," said Burney, who is also the United Nations Expert Advisor on Human Rights.

The sentences marked the highest number of death penalties handed down at one time in the Sharjah court, he said.

"The Ansar Burney Trust will give these 17 Indian nationals all legal and moral assistance and will also try to find out in what other ways we can help them out to file an appeal in higher court," he said.

He added the trust also extended sympathy to the deceased Pakistani's family members.

# # #

About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.