Pakistan has more people imprisoned facing execution than any other country in the world

BBC News:

Nearly a third of the world's 24,000 death row prisoners are in Pakistan - "often held in extremely over-crowded conditions", Amnesty says.

Its annual report on the death penalty said the number of people executed in 2006 fell by 25%, compared with 2005.

But Pakistan was one of a few countries where executions rose sharply.

Pakistan's interior minister has dismissed any suggestion of abolishing the death penalty.

The Amnesty report said that at least 1,591 people had been executed in 25 countries last year, compared with 2,148 people in 2005.

It said the vast majority of those executed in 2006 were in China (1,010), followed by Iran (177), Pakistan (82), Iraq (65), Sudan (65) and the US (53).

The figure in Pakistan had nearly trebled from 31 the previous year, Amnesty said.

The group's UK Director, Kate Allen, said: "Last year saw a slight drop in execution numbers but it was another grim death toll around the world.

"We are particularly concerned about a disturbing 'revival' of executions in countries like Iraq, Sudan and Pakistan.

"We urgently need to see 'death penalty governments' issuing bans on all imminent executions, especially President Musharraf in Pakistan."

Worldwide: New report shows world executions down, but 'disturbing revival' amongst minority of countries

Here is thy sting