Pakistan declines to comment on Sheikh Hasina's death sentence, says it's Bangladesh's 'internal matter'

Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday declined to comment on the death sentence handed down to deposed Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, saying it was an "internal matter" of the country.

"About Bangladesh, this is a matter internal to the democratic and constitutional process of Bangladesh, as also I referred to previously in my opening statement. I would not offer any further comment on this matter," Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said when asked about the conviction at his weekly press briefing here.

A special tribunal in Bangladesh on Monday sentenced 78-year-old Hasina to death for ordering a deadly crackdown on a student-led uprising last year.

Hasina has been living in India since she fled Bangladesh on August 5 last year in the face of the massive protests.

Pakistan and Bangladesh ties had deteriorated during Hasina’s rule, but relations have improved between them after her ouster, with trade and defence officials visiting each other's country.