Legal notice seeks list of those pardoned by president in 34 yrs

A legal notice has been sent for the publication and provision of a list of individuals whose prison sentences were pardoned, suspended, or reduced by the president under Article 49 of the Constitution, in 34 years from January 1991 to July 2024.

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Md Omar Faruk sent the notice on Sunday (August 25).

The notice was sent to the secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the secretary of the Ministry of Law, the cabinet secretary, and the secretary of the president’s office.

The notice stated that it is deeply regrettable that for several years, the president has exercised his power to pardon many criminals, including those convicted of murder.

Many death row inmates and life-sentenced criminals, after being pardoned by the president, have re-entered society and are spreading terror, establishing themselves as mafia dons.

As a citizen, everyone has the right to know how, by what process, and on whose recommendation or lobbying, the President is granting pardon or commuting the sentences of notorious and convicted criminals, the notice said.

It is also necessary to examine whether there has been any abuse of power or political motives in the exercise of the President’s power under Article 49 of the Constitution.

The notice further mentioned that the public needs to know the source of the president’s power to pardon, under which law and by what process he does so, and what are the criteria for commuting sentences.

Therefore, the notice requested that the names and detailed descriptions of those pardoned by the President or whose sentences were suspended, from January 1991 to July 2024, be provided within 15 days of receiving the notice.

The notice also mentioned that if the list of those pardoned is not provided within the specified time, a writ petition will be filed in the High Court.